Choosing healthy snacks

By Janice M. Howard / Style Editor for the Southern Standard

School nurse Sheila Cantrell assists Sierra Pedigo and Gabe Arnold in choosing healthy snacks for their morning treats. Pedigo is the daughter of Richard and Alene Pedigo and Arnold’s parents are Misty Arnold and Jeremy Britton.

School days are cool days when students can anticipate having tasty treats to enjoy during snack time and lunch break. With a recommendation of five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day, there’s plenty of room to add variety to a child’s snack choices.

A new program has begun at area schools where healthy snacks are being offered as an alternative to treats that are high in sugar and caffeine.

Healthy snacks are now available for purchase at West Elementary each Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 10 a.m. during the regular snack time. There are 575 students at West in kindergarten through fifth grade and the majority are choosing snacks.

In order to get started, funds from a Coordinated Schools Health Program grant stocked the first supply of milk and other dairy products as well as a variety of fresh fruit, cheese and other healthy choices. By the second day, the program at West Elementary was self-supporting.

“We’re teaching our students they have other alternatives to eating treats high in sugar and caffeine,” said Sheila Cantrell, RN, who is overseeing the program at West with Debbie Haley, faculty assistant.

All proceeds at West are being directed to the physical education department to benefit the children’s health – a second time.

“Farm Bureau furnished our milk vending machine,” noted Cantrell. “They will be pleased to know how quickly the milk, chocolate milk and yogurt have to be restocked. We can hardly stay ahead of the demand.”

In addition to milk and yogurt, the students can select from 100 percent fruit juice, grapes, apples, carrot sticks with Ranch dressing dip, pop corn, gold fish crackers, Rice Krispie squares, granola bars, peanut butter filled crackers, cheese sticks and more.

“The program is going over very well,” Cantrell said. “Our students are choosing fruit and carrots first — without coaxing.”