News - News releases
March 12, 2009
Annual school-based celebration encourages youth to eat more green vegetables
HERSHEY, Pa. – When given the choice, it's not uncommon for kids to select cookies or chips over celery sticks or broccoli as an afternoon snack. During the week of March 16, schools and community groups across the state are hoping to enlighten youth to the nutritious and delicious options of green vegetables by celebrating Go for the Greens.
Go for the Greens is an annual program led by the Penn State Hershey Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion. During the 2007/2008 school year, 790 schools engaged 418,700 students in Go for the Greens activities such as taste-testings, trivia contests, lunch menu offerings featuring green vegetables, recipe competitions and many other produce-based games and activities.
"Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day provides important vitamins, minerals and fiber children need for good health," noted Allison Topper, Executive Director of the Center. "With so much time spent in the school setting where children's attitudes, behaviors, and habits are shaped, it's important to teach youth about making healthy meal and snack choices."
This year's Go for the Greens celebration is funded in part by Pennsylvania Beef Council and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and supported by Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
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Penn State Hershey Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion works collectively
with state and national partners to conduct research and evaluate promising obesity
prevention practices. Since 2003, this important work has been translated into programs
and events implemented by the state network Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition
and Activity (PANA). For more information about the Center and its programs, please
visit www.nrgbalance.org.
“The stellar interaction between the Center and administrators at six PA public schools led to a very successful week-long health ride. I enjoyed working with the Center and would highly recommend them as partners in any future projects.”
