In the Bronx, FoodCorps Partners are Changing How Kids Eat

By Natalie Migliore, Norwood News

In PS 109 Sedgwick in Morris Heights, students learn the importance of eating healthy with Edible Schoolyard NYC, which incorporates healthy eating in classroom lessons.

From classroom to cafeteria, PS 109 makes sure its students grow up with healthy eating habits through programs like afterschool family cooking activities.

Edible Schoolyard NYC is just one group trying to reverse statistics outlined in a recent state health department report that showed the Bronx as the unhealthiest county in New York State for the eighth year in a row. Embedding healthy eating into the lifestyles of young people stands among the many ways to improve health outcomes in the borough.

Elizabeth Quintero is a FoodCorps Service Member with Edible Schoolyard NYC. She teaches elementary school kids how to cook healthy meals and the importance of fruits and vegetables. “The ultimate goal is to educate students about what they’re eating and what their food choices are and where their food is coming from. And really raise awareness of what’s going into their food,” Quintero said.

Interacting with kids and teaching them about healthier food has made Quintero realize that most kids want to eat healthy. She said they do not always see their options. “They are just overly bombarded with unhealthy food options and by educating them and saying you can find these healthy food options in their neighborhoods maybe they will make more of an effort to find them,” Quintero said.