Health Project Bears Fruit

As lunchtime approaches at Pacific High School in Ventura, the cafeteria buzzes with a distinctly new sound: blenders.

They are churning up thick, fruity concoctions with names like “Pat’s Strawberry Banana Creation” and “The Clown’s Mango Madness.” And, school officials hope, they are providing a healthy alternative for teenagers who might otherwise opt for sticky-sweet soda.

This is “Project Smoothie,” a pilot program at the continuation high school that district officials hope could soon expand to other campuses. It’s part of a larger, grant-funded campaign in the Ventura Unified School District to develop good eating habits, boost nutrition education and build relationships with local growers -- the cornerstone of which has been new salad bars in elementary school cafeterias.

At Pacific, the project also gives students the opportunity to earn vocational credit for hours spent making and selling the smoothies on campus.

“We tried to design a program that would be interesting to them,” said Marilyn Godfrey, Healthy Schools Project specialist.

“When we surveyed students, the No. 1 thing they said they wanted was smoothies. We felt this was an important thing to do, to provide healthy choices for students.”

The smoothies -- made from fruit, juice and in some cases, milk and yogurt -- do not contain artificial sweeteners or sugars, Godfrey said.

Twelve students who volunteered to take part in the project designed the recipes after perfecting the creations by taking samples around to all classrooms. They used the feedback to narrow the selections down to three initial flavors: mango, strawberry and “Dylan’s Banana Delight.”

Tammie Nelson, who coordinates the district’s salad bar project, trained the students in food safety.

“They’re a great group of kids,” Nelson said. “They’ve been really responsive to it and have really taken it on.”

Wearing bright yellow aprons, a team of four students on a recent weekday quickly prepared the ingredients and packed them into blenders purchased with money from the district’s $100,000 Healthy Schools grant, which is part of the state’s tobacco settlement.

Junior Sarah Washburn, 16, said she saw the project advertised in the school bulletin and thought it would be fun. “It’s been great so far,” she said as she sliced a pile of bananas for a fellow student’s blender. “Just to work with other people and see how it progresses.”

Keith Zolotas, 16, said he hopes the program will teach him how to make better smoothies at home.

“I’m on house arrest, so that’s all I do,” he said.

Being part of the smoothie project is also something to look forward to at school, said 18-year-old Valerie Martinez.

“It’s really fun, and it gives me something to do,” she said.

The smoothies -- which come in two sizes and cost $1.25 or $1.75 -- are offered at lunch twice a week. So far, the fruity drinks have been well received by students and teachers.

Diana Ortiz, 17, who was slurping down a mango smoothie, said she skips sodas on the days the smoothies are offered. Still, she munched on cheesy nachos and a pile of French fries.

“We’re taking baby steps,” Nelson said.