Food as fun: Students at Calusa Park Elementary learn about the importance of eating right

 

Tracy X. Miguel

Naples Daily News
January 26, 2008

Sitting on the cafeteria floor, about 250 Calusa Park Elementary School third- and fourth-graders learned about cleanliness, nutrition and fitness.

All eyes were on hosts Sam Stayfit, who was played by Micah Sidoran of Cape Coral, and Nikki Nutrition, who was Brittany Bopp of Fort Myers.

Bopp held up a pair of Jared Fogle’s old pants. Fogle is the “Subway guy” who became famous because he lost 245 pounds a few years ago by eating Subway subs and not much else.

The crowd gasped.

Southwest Florida Subway restaurants’ “Food Feud: Where Food and Fitness are Fun,” an education outreach program to combat childhood obesity and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, kicked off in Calusa Park Elementary School in East Naples on Wednesday morning with two health-education assemblies.

The 45-minute program was to be presented at Lake Trafford Elementary School on Friday and Osceola Elementary School on Tuesday.

The five-month program is scheduled to visit multiple schools and present the program to about 6,000 students in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties from January through May, according to Subway restaurants officials.

Standing on the stage, six students divided into two groups and played a game titled “Let’s Make a Meal.”

After singing the alphabet song while washing their hands, six students began to construct four sandwiches as Sidoran read clues to the ingredients of a Subway sandwich.

With the help of the audience, students competed against each other to identify the food group in the Food Guide Pyramid the quickest.

Wearing plastic gloves, students made four 6-foot Subway sandwiches with a serving from each food group in the Food Guide Pyramid.

“I hope all of you eat healthy,” third-grader Gonzalo Sepuleda told his fellow classmates, while participating in the sandwich creation.

Gonzalo reminded students about Fogle’s old pants.

Gonzalo, 9, keeps himself healthy by walking his dog and skateboarding.

Sidoran encouraged students to not eat junk food and recommended them to exercise 60 minutes a day.

“We want the kids to learn more about fitness and healthy eating ... and continue to have these habits through life,” Sidoran, 19, said.

Last year, Florida came in 21st with a rate of 14.4 percent of overweight youth ages 10 to 17, according the 2007 report from the Trust for America’s Health.

“We are so excited to launch Food Feud in our communities and provide children with this tremendous learning opportunity,” Subway of Fort Myers/Naples marketing board chairwoman Ajay Patel said in a prepared statement.

“Florida is not immune to the obesity epidemic pounding the nation, and Subway feels a responsibility to help encourage young people to make smart, healthy choices in their lives.”

After making a healthy sandwich, students discovered an array of fun exercises. From arm rolls to jumping on one foot, every child joyfully participated.

Third-graders Max Leon, 9, and Alexa Mealy, 8, said the game show was fun.

“I learned (Wednesday) that there is always a chance to be healthy, rather than sit around,” Alexa, who eats a lot of vegetables and fruits, said.

Max, who eats organic foods at home, said he typically goes outside to play football after finishing his homework. He also walks with his family.

Leon said he learned about other exercise options that are fun, too, such as riding a bicycle.