Walk a grocery store’s aisles and you’ll see boxes of sugary, high-calorie
food in colorful boxes adorned with cartoon mascots. No wonder kids are drawn to
them. In fact, with child obesity on the rise, some people think those cartoon mascots
are partly to blame. The Produce for Kids
website hopes to change the message by promoting veggies with well-known cartoon
characters like Curious George and the Berenstain Bears.
Children who visit the site can learn about various vegetables and healthy eating
through interactive video games. They can help a monkey juggle fruit, while budding
artists can print out coloring pages. After they’ve worked up an appetite
over all of these activities, kids can download healthy recipes for tasty treats
such as Fresh Fruit Pizza or Zesty Pasta Salad with Avocado and Tomato. All of the
recipes are simple enough for even young readers to follow.
While aimed at children, Produce for Kids is also a helpful resource for parents
who want to encourage their children to eat more vegetables. The parents section
includes recipes, tips to ward off childhood obesity, and print-outs of helpful diagrams
like a special food pyramid for children. One especially useful section features
advice from various registered dietitians on how to get children to eat a more balanced,
nutritious diet.
Showing the perks of a healthy lifestyle can help children grow up to be healthy
adults. Produce for Kids makes it easy and fun.
We’d love to hear from you.
If you know a web site that focuses on health, family, food or fun, email it to feedback@islandscene.com and we may review it for Island Scene Online.