she knows about nutrition through her school
program, Wafer doesn’t hesitate. Healthy foods,
she asserts, come from plants and animals, unhealthy
foods from manufacturers. “Foods have
different ways of helping your body—or they
can rot your insides because they’re bad for
you,” she says. Her favorite lunch is a grilled
cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread. “On
the side I have cucumbers and mini peppers.
I do strawberries, watermelon or pomegranate
seeds for dessert.”
Kids are embracing eating locally at an early
age. A new garden launched and overseen by
third-grade students recently provided lettuce
for an all-school salad; at another elementary
school, kids in the cafeteria brag about eating
fruit or low-sugar yogurt instead of cookies.
Kindergarteners are entering school armed
with knowledge about healthy foods, sustainable
agriculture and food allergies before they
even have their ABCs memorized. No doubt
their parents play a prominent role in molding
healthy little palates. This increased awareness
continues as they develop. Middle and high
school students are often aware that nutrition is
integral to learning, mental health and school
success. Educators and dining hall supervisors
Hriday Peri, 14, an eighth-grader
at Delphi Academy, feels more empowered
being in a school program
that mirrors his personal dietary
choices. “I’m vegetarian and avoid
junk food. I know how starch gets
converted to sugar in your body,” he
says. In the family’s home garden,
Hriday grows and harvests squash,
tomatoes and peppers. “My parents
are pretty strict about what foods we
eat,” he adds.
At school, he advocates for students
making choices independently.
He’s learned that sugar
goes directly to the brain. “It’s undetected.
You might not function
because of sugar rushes. You might
get high blood pressure. Once students
understand what happens if
you choose fast food every day, they
should be trusted to make the right
EDIBLE LESSONS
nutritious choices. With healthier stuff, you
notice it and feel it. One kid I know, instead of
bringing meatballs and spaghetti, he brought
broccoli and some salad. He took a step up.”
Budding entrepreneur Madeline Wafer, a
Merryhill sixth-grade student, age 11, baked,
marketed and sold healthy organic granola bars
at the annual Camp Carnival to fund a science
camp she wants to attend. Asked to share what
Eighth-grader
Hriday
Peri tends
the garden
at Delphi
Academy.
Abigail Palmer
(l) and Maddie
Wafer (r)
selling Maddie’s
healthy
yum-ola bars
at Merryhill's
camp carnival.