Kiwi Fruit and the Importance of Food Education at School

My kids had a special unit at school last week which included a mobile agricultural products laboratory and besides learning so many fun and important facts, each class won a case of kiwifruit for answering closing questions.

The elementary school classes won kiwifruit and ate them in class. And three very excited kids came running home that day full of things to share with me including that they love kiwifruit. I was stunned. My kids are not very adventurous when it comes to trying new fruit and since I love kiwi I have offered it before - with no luck. However, learning about the fruit in school and sharing a special "prize" with their teacher and class allowed my kids to try it away from home - and it was a full success. I wonder how many kids came home that day asking their parents to buy kiwi.

I think this is amazing and a great lesson to learn. We all know we have to keep offering our kids food they may be hesitant to try or taste but learning about food at school with a chance to try something in class has made a big impression on my kids. And now they love kiwifruit!

This is the lunch my first grader packed himself in his Easylunchboxes today:

• no bake energy bites
• strawberries
• kiwifruit
• carrots
• tangerine
• cereal bar and 
• a slice of starfruit

I helped him arrange the food so it would not get soggy and I cannot wait to see how lunch went today! Not only did they try a new food at school but they were open to pack some starfruit in their lunch as well to try.

My two older kids packed also no bake energy bites, strawberries, kiwifruit, starfruit and a sandwich. All kids also packed yogurt and ice water.