Fruits, veggies take center stage as Glen View hosts first ‘Farm
to Market’ Day
Gilroy – The unmistakable refreshing aroma of fresh pineapple wafted through the Glen View Elementary School cafeteria Friday afternoon as students happily filled their plates with a colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables, from kiwis to jicama.

At the end of the line they picked up cartons of lowfat milk, inserted straws and quickly slurped up the calcium-filled drinks. Other students headed to one of the displays surrounding the room and listened to lessons on nutrition, agriculture, composting and dairy.

Doesn’t sound like your typical cafeteria experience? Well, it wasn’t.

The Friday event, dubbed “Farm to Market Day” and put on by Gilroy Unified School District food services, was a first for not only the district but all of South County. Each class spent an hour at the event, listening to the lectures and partaking of the smorgasbord of nutritious fare.

The event is a component of the Wellness Program, a county-wide effort to increase physical activity and reduce obesity through education. Alane Webb, a consultant for Sedexco the district’s food service company, said the plan is to offer the Farm to Market event to all local elementary students next year and stage it at Christmas Hill Park.

The point is to emphasize the value of a healthy diet. They chose to focus on the younger crowd because it’s important for the little kids to understand nutrition early on, Webb said.

Last school year, students dined on pizza, Tater Tots and French fries, everyday. But that’s all changed. Now students are served healthy lunches: salads, sandwiches, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Kristi Vuica, a registered dietitian for Sedexco, said she expected to hear complaints but was pleasantly surprised.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback,” she said.

While many of the children wandering through the line filled up on watermelon, cucumbers and other healthful treats, one little boy turned his nose at the platters of food.

He finally settled on fruit cocktail, spooning the sticky canned substance onto his plate.

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