Kids in the kitchen

• An Albany Junior League-sponsored program aims to get children eating healthier.

Staff Reports

ALBANY — Most parents are pretty sure that when their child is pleading for an impulse purchase of Oreos at the grocery store, its not because they’ve checked the food label for the amount of calories per serving.

Trying to convince children to eat healthier may seem like an uphill battle. But, the Albany Women’s Junior League is aiming to change that with it’s Kids in the Kitchen program, an Association of Junior Leagues International initiative that educates elementary school children about healthy eating and teaches them recipes for healthy snacks.

Melissa Gore, chairperson for the Albany program, said the Junior League has been participating in the program since it first started nationally in 2006. But, the group decided to partner with the Dougherty County Extended Day program to give the children more time to really learn about healthy eating.

“Before they only got like 15 minutes, which really isn’t enough time for a kid to focus on anything,” Gore said.

“Now it’s more structured and they can have more time since they are going to be here (in the after-school program) anyway. Normally they just work on homework and play. So this gives them something different to do,” she added.

Gore said she and other Junior League volunteers have brought the program to a different school each week throughout April, including Jackson Heights, Radium Springs, Magnolia, Northside and West Town elementary schools.

The program starts with a discussion about the basic food groups and about how too much fat and sugar can affect the body.

“We get lots of questions from little kids talking about fat and their arteries closing up so it’s kind of interesting to see how much they already know,” Gore said.

She also said many of them have already had family members who have become ill from not eating a healthy diet and not getting enough exercise.

“They’ll raise their hands and say, ‘My granddaddy or grandma or uncle had a heart attack,’ ” Gore said.

After the discussion, they then go over handouts that help them to categorize food items into the different food groups, read nutrition labels and identify fattening foods that should be eaten in moderation.

The children then learn to make a healthy and easy trail mix snack, combining pretzels, Cheerios, Gold Fish crackers, dried blueberries and chocolate chips in a sandwich bag and shaking the contents. They are also given bottled water to drink.

Eric Newman, director of the Dougherty County Extended Day Program, said he thought it was a good idea for students to participate in the program to help promote healthy eating for a clean bill of health when they get older.

“Every little bit will help to further cause a child to think twice about what to eat and how to best go about taking care of their bodies,” Newman said.

He also said he and Gore are planning to have the program return next year.

“Anytime that a group can come in to do positive instruction, especially in the area of physical and nutritional needs, is great with us,” Newman said. “I think they thoroughly enjoy themselves. It plants seeds to live a better and healthier life.”