Children from Lincoln Elementary School in Anaheim got a crash course in nutrition this week, as they roamed the Northgate Grocery store chanting, “Eat smart, play hard!”
Fourth- and fifth-grade students made the school’s annual pilgrimage to the market to learn the importance of eating healthy and exercising. They visited six stations for five minutes each, including the physical activity booth, ironically in the bakery department.
They learned the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains and dairy.
They played avocado bingo and learned an avocado is actually a fruit.
Each month, as part of Northgate’s Health and Wellness Initiative, several of the company’s 43 Southern California stores partner with community organizations to target a specific chronic disease, said Teresa Blanco, director of community engagement and wellness.
Last month, the market focused on heart health. This month, as part of National Nutrition Month, it hosted the 155 school children. In May, during National Women’s Health month, mammograms will be provided outside selected stores, Blanco said.
Each child was provided a goodie bag with nutritional advice, including a bilingual coloring book with a healthy foods shopping list, and a Frisbee promoting the “Promise to Talk” mental health website.
Fourth-grade teacher Janet Leslie was impressed by her students. “They know a lot more than I thought,” she said. “It makes me think we do a good job at school.”
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