A three-year project by University of California researchers finds that if schools districts have easy access to fresh, seasonal produce, they’re likely to get it into the budget to get it.
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Researchers are hoping that If kids are introduced to fruits and vegetables at school, will they be more likely to choose to eat produce on an ongoing basis.
The dramatic rise of obesity and diabetes in children has prompted nutrition experts to encourage parents to offer their children a more healthful diet with more produce. Yet fewer than 10 percent of California children consume the minimum recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, according to a 2009 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California leads the nation in fresh produce production.
For this three-year project, the UC researchers worked with three school districts: Oakland Unified School District, Winters Joint Unified School District (west of Sacramento) and Enterprise Elementary School District in Redding.
For more on the study, click here.