By Illinois Radio Network
LINCOLN – The fresh fruit and vegetable program at Illinois schools isn’t going to make school lunches delicious, but it might help make school lunches healthier.
New federal rules for school lunches mandate everything from sodium levels to the number of times a school has to serve an orange vegetable each week.
That’s why some of the 272 schools that will be a part of the USDA’s fresh fruit and vegetable program this year are happy to get fresh carrots and peaches.
Lincoln Elementary School District 27’s Food Service Director Connie Crawley said she participated in the program last year at just one school building. She is expanding the program this year because of last year’s success.
Crawley said the fresh fruit program lets kids try new fruits and vegetables as snacks.
“We did ugly fruit, that was an odd one,” Crawley said. “We tried jicama sticks. That’s something new that I’ve never heard of. It’s kinda of neat to have kids all try stuff together.”
The fresh fruit and vegetable program also allows kids to try more common fruits and vegetables.
Crawley said she served a lot of apples, peaches, carrots, cucumbers and berries.
“The stuff that they did try and like, raspberries or even blueberries, I am incorporating those into the lunch program,” Crawley explained. “If I know they’re are going to [eat them], I am going to put the fruit in, because students want fresh fruits and vegetables more than the canned.”
The USDA also likes more fresh fruits and vegetables.
Crawley said federal rules do make it difficult for schools to serve lunches that are both nutritious and that kids will eat, which is why she said even a quick snack to introduce kids to fresh fruits is such a blessing.
