Students nibble on nutrition

October 25, 2005

DAWN DE BUSK\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Eleven-year-old Kristal Foster said when she was 3 years old, she went through a phase of dipping her fingers in butter and then in sugar and licking the two-ingredient concoction off her fingers.

Pretty soon, that's all she would eat, she said. That's when her parents decided to really push vegetables and fruits and healthy breads - not just on their toddler, but for the whole family, Foster said during an after-school program called &#8220A Taste For Tuesdays” that focuses on nutrition, healthy habits and goal-setting.

Getting the whole family involved in eating healthily helps with one family member's goals to eat better or exercise more, according to Julie Cascio, home economist with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Cooperative Extension in Palmer.

&#8220It's important to get family support,” Cascio said. &#8220It's also important to give yourself a break. It's OK to eat Frosted Flakes sometimes.”

Cascio teaches the six-week course, which is geared to junior high students.

Besides learning about nutrition and taking part in open discussions about the concepts taught in the class - like properly washing hands - the students have the opportunity to prepare easy-to-make, healthy snacks.

Last week, group members created their own English muffin pizzas with mozzarella cheese and chopped vegetables.

&#8220We're focusing on vegetables. In the American diet, people get plenty of meats,” Cascio said.

The students also made their own pizza sauce, with tomato sauce and Italian spices.

These quick snacks don't take much more time than selecting a less nutritional snack from the shelf and eating that, Cascio said. The pay-off from eating healthier is well worth the extra time, she said.

The $1,000 grant through Valley Healthy Communities paid for a microwave and several dozen books on nutrition, exercises and cookbooks aimed at the middle-school-aged group, according to Candy Kopperud, librarian and events coordinator.

Colony Middle School student Megan Eckmann, 11, finely chopped mushrooms and tested those on her pizza Tuesday. When asked if her English muffin pizza was a healthy option, Eckmann discussed moderation.

&#8220Too much cheese can be unhealthy. Too much bread, or carbs, can be unhealthy,” she said.

Eckmann's mother, who works at the library, signed her up for the first class and gave her the option of not attending any more if she didn't enjoy it.

&#8220I liked it. It was fun. I will go to the other five,” Eckmann said.

Dawn De Busk can be reached at 352-2252, or dawn.debusk@ frontiersman.com.