Chris Cirkus, Manager, West Windsor Community Farmers Market
To the editor:
I am writing in response to Dr. Bert Mandelbaum’s "Health Matters" column of Friday, Oct. 3, "Establishing healthy eating habits in children." A well-respected pediatrician in our area, Dr. Mandelbaum’s points are spot on from a medical perspective i.e. limit snacks, control portions, encourage regular exercise, among other practical suggestions.
I applaud his comments regarding sitting down together as a family for meals and giving children a say, involving them in meal planning and cooking. From a parent and farmers market manager’s perspective, might I recommend these ideas on how to implement his suggestions?
Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing local families shopping together on Saturday mornings at the West Windsor Community Farmers Market. This simple act of spending time strolling the outdoor market and interacting with the farmers who grow and raise local food is the perfect example of involving our children in meal planning. Better eating comes from exposing our children to healthy choices such as locally grown fruits, vegetables, pastured meats, eggs, cheese, etc. at the most basic level.
My experience as a parent of two now grown young women as well as a cooking instructor of young children has proven that this exposure to good food leads to a willingness to taste something new over and over again. Exposing a child to food again and again may result in that child trying it eventually, but there is such joy in witnessing the pride of a child who chose the vegetable or food, helped to cook it, and then is excited to eat it.
The West Windsor Community Farmers Market, located on the southbound side of the Princeton Junction Train Station in the Vaughn Drive commuter lot, is held every Saturday, rain or shine, from early May right up until Thanksgiving. Please check the website for farms, vendors and events westwindsorfarmersmarket.org.
Chris Cirkus
Manager, West Windsor Community Farmers Market
