By

Matt Vande Berg,   Greenfield El

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Highlight Healthy Foods — Go Nutritious

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods

When you think of a smoothie, you generally think of something you have tried many times, with different combinations of ingredients. We all have our favorite ways of making and eating them. The BW Active Force recently utilized our new Smoothie Bike to make smoothies for our elementary school students. So many students said that this was the first smoothie they had ever had. One even stated (when she saw the ingredients) that she didn't like yogurt...but loved the smoothie that had yogurt in it! It was so important to show students that a smoothie isn't just healthy, it is delicious. It isn't something that is expensive to make, but instead is a great way to use what you have and put it together! I truly believe that we opened so many eyes to the world of healthy eating and the wonderful world of Dairy! Hard to believe that even though we are in the Dairy State there are so many students that need to experience the great things we can use with it. Many students went home to share the awesome taste of smoothies and dairy products that day. We served nearly 600 smoothies in all.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

We had our Student Ambassadors and staff team up to pedal the bike. We also had students pass out the smoothies. Our wonderful teaching staff did a great job of volunteering, hopping on the bike and having a great time!

How did you accomplish your goals?

We accomplished our goals by allowing students to try something they either rarely get he chance to try or have never tried before. We allowed them to taste something that was healthy, tasty and made in a "fun and unique" way.

How do you plan to make this Play last during the school year and beyond?

We plan on doing this event at least every other month. We also plan on utilizing the bike in other ways to promote physical activity.