Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s 5210 program is a fitness and nutrition program that encourages our students and their families to aim for 5 fruits and vegetables every day, keep recreational screen time to 2 hours or less every day, include at least 1 hour or more of active play every day, have zero sugar-sweetened beverages, and to drink more water every day.
This school year marks the 5210 Program’s second annual Tasty Tasting offering at lunch for eight Sunnyvale Elementary Schools! Each month, the 5210 Program and the Sunnyvale Elementary Food Service department provides a sample of a fruit or vegetable offered to all students during lunch. Does your child like getting samples at Costco? Imagine how much fun they have getting to try a new food with their friends and classmates!
During lunch, students get to vote with their sample cup if they “love it,” “like it” or if it’s “not today.” The results are then tallied and announced to the school. In 
September, the harvest of the month was cherry tomatoes. Students then sampled Asian pears (apple pears) in October. In November, students loved the kale salad that combined shredded kale and shredded carrots lightly dressed with Ranch.
Tastings are also being offered in the Kids Learning After School (KLAS) program. Seasonal tastes of nonfat vanilla yogurt mixed with pure pumpkin allowed students to try a “crust-less pumpkin pie”, full of vitamin A and C as well as potassium and tons of fiber! Often, a child needs at least 15 tries of a new or unfamiliar food before he/she decides to eat it.
Try a new fruit or vegetable this season! Easy seasonal recipes may be found at https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide. Clicking on any fruit or vegetables will take you to links for recipes, nutrition info, and more.
This article was written by Pam Murdock, Sunnyvale School District Health and Wellness Programs Liaison.
