EDUCATION
Mattie Wells Elementary School had a taste test to taste various vegetables from Pure Flavor on Jan. 26, giving students an opportunity to try new healthy food items.
Matoshia Grant, director of Jones County Nutrition, said she was excited to see the students eat the vegetables and see their reactions to trying something they’ve never tasted before.
“I applied for a grant to support local farmers in October, and we were awarded the grant,” she said. “It helps support the local farmers Georgia grown, and Georgia grown is local farmers within 400 miles of wherever you are. Pure Flavor ended up being perfect.”
She said Pure Flavor came to Georgia from Canada, and they grow their items in a greenhouse in Fort Valley. She said she wanted to be able to serve all the students in Jones County, and Pure Flavor was able to do that.
“Mattie Wells is our first location where we decided to give students the vegetables from Pure Flavor. The students got a package of Mini Munchies. Inside each package there were sweet peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers washed and cleaned in a cute little zip bag for students to take home,” Grant said.
The director said they want to give students in Jones County as many snacks as possible from Pure Flavor. She said the goal is to make vegetables more appealing and fun to eat. She said the students had an opportunity to taste test the vegetables they took home in their bags. She said she hopes this helps promote healthy eating in Jones County schools.
Grant said her favorite part about being able to introduce students at Mattie Wells Elementary School to the vegetables from Pure Flavor is seeing the reactions of the students. She said it was an educational opportunity and a chance to introduce them to something new.
The director said there were educational handouts for the students to engage in at home so they can color and learn how to spell the food items.
Grant said she hopes the students enjoyed the taste test at Mattie Wells Elementary School, and she can’t wait to do the taste test at the other schools in the near future.
“Healthy eating starts at a young age, and healthy eating starts with a healthy lifestyle,” she said. “That’s what we want for our kids here in Jones County. We want them to be able to identify the various vegetables, know how to eat them and know what they taste like. I hope they enjoy the food and eat more of these vegetables.”
