Team Nutrition in the Schools: Florida

Manatee Elementary
Palm Beach County, FL

On January 24, 2003, Manatee Elementary held a Health Fair in their auditorium, organized by teacher Judy Saraga. Many booths lined the perimeter of the auditorium, each booth containing a display and materials for health education. Several booths were dedicated to nutrition education, with most materials being borrowed from the Florida Department of Education Food and Nutrition Resource Center Materials Catalog. Students from the Discovery Lab worked each booth, educating each passing group of students.

In the center of the auditorium was a table that held beautiful displays of colorful fruits and vegetables. Several trays of testable fruits and vegetables were attractively presented. As the students passed by, they were excited to taste the different choices.

At two different times during the fair, the "Power Panther" made a grand entrance and tour around the fair. The students were very excited to see him with a fruit and a vegetable in his paws while he flexed his muscles. The Power Panther and the Health Fair were great tools for educating the students on the importance of good nutrition and physical activity.

In addition to the action at the health fair, there were nutrition lessons being taught in classrooms. Kindergarten students sang a song about fruits being buried under the snow. After the song, the students were able to sit with the teacher and make a fresh fruit cup with light-whipped cream on top, like "snow."

Chiaramonte Elementary
Tampa, FL

The American Culinary Federation's Tampa Bay chapter, in conjunction with Team Nutrition Days, prepared breakfast for Chiaramonte Elementary students and teachers on Friday, March 3, 2000. The chef members offered a menu of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, ham, tater tots, muffins, rolls, juice, and milk to the 500 plus students and staff. Chef and Child Chairman, Ray Benton, CCE, spoke with the children about nutrition and the importance of eating a balanced breakfast every morning.

This is the fourth year the ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association has been involved with the breakfast program at Chiaramonte Elementary. It is one of the chapter's favorite events as they are always so warmly received by the students who look forward to an annual visit from "those guys in the big, white hats!"