Food for Thought

Wegmans encourages kids to make healthy choices

By: LORETTA SHERMAN


Wegmans’ Good Foods Tour teaches kids about adequate serving sizes in each food group, the importance of vitamins A and C, drinking 100 percent fruit juices, eating grains and fiber, and eating five fruits and vegetables a day.


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   PARENTS won’t have to scratch their heads in wonder about offering nutritious and good tasting foods to their children during the school year.
   Wegmans’ Good Foods Tour can give them plenty of food for thought.
   The supermarket located on Nassau Park Boulevard in West Windsor can teach school age children the importance of eating the right combination of healthy foods instead of cookies, candy and other sweet confections and about food safety.
   The Good Foods Tour Program is geared for fourth graders learning about the food groups and the Food Guide Pyramid, a dietary guideline designed by the United States Department of Agriculture for making nutritious food choices that are categorized into food groups. These are: grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meats (dry beans, eggs and nuts are included in this group), and fats and sweets.
   The Good Foods Tour program teaches children about adequate serving sizes in each food group, the importance of vitamins A and C, drinking 100 percent fruit juices, eating grains and fiber, and eating five fruits and vegetables a day. Fats and percent lean labeling are also discussed.
   This educational program was originally developed by Wegmans corporate nutritionist, Jane Andrews, registered dietician.
   Copies of Wegmans’ "Food You Feel Good About" workbook/coloring book are distributed to group at the start of the tour. The book is informational and has illustrations which depict such topics as choosing colorful fruits and vegetables. Orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots are rich in vitamin A, while nutrients found in bright red foods like tomatoes may protect the body’s organs against cancer. Deep blue fruits such as blueberries and grapes offer protection for the heart and eyes. Proper food storage, where foods come from and are grown, and how many servings of grain are needed each day are just some of the topics in the book.
   "It is referred to during the tour," said Marbeth Kline, tour coordinator for the West Windsor supermarket.
   In addition, by completing a bar graph in the workbook, children learn about the fat content in sandwiches and can compare them. For example, a grilled cheese sandwich has 29 grams of fat ,while a chicken sandwich with 2 ounces of meat has 5 grams of fat.
   During a tour, fourth graders are taken to the produce, bakery, meat and seafood departments in the market.
   "A specialist from each department presents information to the group," Ms. Kline said.
   Children are given samples of foods to taste that they may not be familiar with. For instance, a group in the produce department may get to sample a piece of a kiwi or star fruit.
   "They sample produce in season," Ms. Kline said.
   At the bakery department, they get a chance to taste bread. In fact, the tour includes an experiment about yeast which is done in the bakery department . Here, children learn how bread rises. Each child receives a loaf of bread and an apple when they leave.
   Group size is limited to about 15 to 20 people. Ms. Kline recommended calling her several weeks in advance to arrange for a tour.
   "We would like to limit tours to one per day and tours are offered on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons," she said.
   Tours are not held two weeks before major holidays such as Christmas and New Years, Thanksgiving, Easter or July 4th.
   While the Good Foods Tour caters to fourth graders, younger and older groups can take a tour of the store. It is not the same in depth program like the one offered to fourth graders.
   "Pre-schools have taken tours. High students enrolled in culinary courses specifically like to see our store," Ms. Kline said.
   Several camps went on tours this summer. Many schools and groups have utilized the Good Foods Tours at Wegmans. These include the Cherry Hill Nursery School, the Walter C. Black School in Princeton, the Rocky Hill Nursery School in Princeton, Little Friends Day School in Hamilton, Scout troops from East Windsor and others. Wegmans often receives letters from students who enjoyed the tour.
   Wegmans recipes for kids are published in its "Just For Kids" pamphlet which can be found in the store’s produce section. Here is a sampling:
TUNA-SAURUS PAW
   1 can (6 oz) tuna, drained
   3 tablespoon mayonnaise
   1 stalk celery
   3 pitas
   Place tuna in a bowl; break apart with fork.
   Wash the celery stalk. Cut in half widthwise using a plastic knife. Cut each half into 3 long strips. Lay the strips together and cut across making pea size pieces.
   Add the celery and mayonnaise to tuna. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
   Have your adult helper cut across the top of pita using a zig-zag pattern. Open pita and fill with tuna salad.
JUICY FRUIT BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE
   1 ripe banana
   ½ cup orange juice
   ½ cup low fat yogurt
   2 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut up
   Slice banana. Add to blender. Add rest of ingredients. Blend well. Pour into glass.
   Wegmans offers the same program throughout the East Coast. Since the program’s inception in 1991, more than 64,000 fourth graders have taken Good Foods Tours in Wegmans stores. Wegmans supermarkets are located in New York, New Jersey and in Pennsylvania.
   To arrange an appointment for a tour, call Ms. Kline at (609) 919-9300.