Lesson on Nutrition Has a Bite to It

Second-graders at DePortola Elementary School had a lesson Tuesday that they could really sink their teeth into.

To celebrate Saddleback Valley Unified School District’s second annual Kids Cooking Week, the youngsters made turkey sandwiches with fixings supplied by a local restaurant, then sampled their creations.

Learning about nutrition was part of the exercise, and the students caught on quickly.

“It’s good to learn about food to keep you healthy,” 7-year-old Brittany Stewart said.

The reason, 8-year-old classmate Ryan Ward explained, is that a good diet “makes your body strong and gives your brain more knowledge and makes it stronger.”

Statistics show that youngsters need such lessons now more than ever. According to the Orange County Chapter of the American Heart Assn., since 1966 there has been a 54% increase in obesity nationwide among children ages 6 to 11.

Heart association studies also show that fewer than 36% of elementary and secondary schools offer daily physical education classes, which means that many children are not learning lifelong fitness patterns.

Tuesday’s event at DePortola Elementary was one in a series of activities that the school district is planning during February, which is American Heart Month.

Sharon Raabe, a food service consultant for the school district, said Kids Cooking Week provides students with an opportunity to learn and ask questions about anything from sanitation to nutrition while they learn how to prepare so-called heart-healthy food.

A number of restaurants are joining in the project, she said, among them El Torito in Laguna Hills, the Irvine Marriott and Mimi’s Cafe in Lake Forest and Laguna Niguel.

Jay Hutchinson, general manager of Mimi’s in Lake Forest, said the students get excited about their projects.

“It’s really neat to get involved with the schools, especially elementary schools where the kids can get such a good impression and stay involved,” said Hutchinson, who made pancakes for DePortola students last year.