RICHMOND, Va. — Fruit and Veggie Week is underway across Richmond Public Schools, bringing colorful and nutritious options to students' lunch trays at 26 elementary schools.
At Fairfield Court Elementary, students got the chance to sample foods like blood oranges and bell peppers—some earning rave reviews… others, not so much.
CBS 6 News Anchor GeNienne Samuels was there as students gave their honest opinions.
Keasia didn’t hold back, saying, "The bell peppers... I didn't like at all."
While Joshua had a different take, enjoying both and adding, "Eating healthy foods can help your body stay strong and loses the risk of getting diseases."
The weeklong initiative is a partnership between Performance Food Group, Greater Richmond Fit4Kids, and Richmond Public Schools, designed to make healthy eating both fun and accessible. Nearly 10,000 students are getting the opportunity to “taste the rainbow” with new fruits and vegetables offered each day.
Leaders, who were there to serve up the main dish, say the impact goes far beyond the cafeteria.
“For many of our kids, they rely a lot on the school system for where they're getting a big chunk of their nutrition during the day,” said Richmond Mayor Danny Avula. “And so really being focused on how to enhance the nutrition of those foods and to get kids to be exposed to things and actually like them, right? A lot of kids come to school and leave half of their plate uneaten. We really need to find ways to encourage kids to try new things and establish healthy nutrition habits young.”
Superintendent Jason Kamras said the lessons don’t stop this week.
“So we keep building on this throughout the year by developing school gardens, and the kids grow their own food then make salads with their own food," Kamras said. "Again, it's all part of exposing kids to healthy and nutritious options so that they develop great nutritional habits over the course of their life."
More than 250 community partners and volunteers are helping bring the program to life — serving samples, encouraging students, and turning lunchtime into a learning experience.
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