Teaching Healthy Snacks
at The Boys and Girls Club of America
Jelleff Branch
Can Little Boys Learn to Eat Their Vegetables?
Four boys, between the ages of six to eight, were having fun preparing Chick Pea Salad (that’s right, made from real chickpeas). How is that possible? Juliette Tahar, a French-born natural food expert founded Healthy Living, Inc., to revolutionize the way primarily disadvantaged people eat. The boys were learning how to prepare healthy snacks at the Boys and Girls Club, (Jelleff Branch), in Washington, D.C.
Juliette believes that everyone, regardless of their age, can learn how to eat better. As she explains “Most people believe that children hate fruits and vegetables and won’t eat healthy. That’s simply not true – given a chance to participate in the cooking process and tasting what they prepared – they love it.” Since it was spring, the boys were learning about spring vegetables. Some boys were shelling peas and others were peeling and cutting cucumbers for the salad. They seemed thrilled. The next step was to peel and cut the asparagus. Juliette added salt, olive oil, and lemon for the dressing.
When asked if they liked vegetables, all the boys said yes, and specified which ones they liked the best. Some of the boys even said they wanted to be chefs. One boy told everyone how his grandmother has a garden and grows tomatoes, apples, oranges, and peas.
After the salad was ready, the children prepared cheese on crackers and then served the snacks to 25 boys and girls who were participating in an after school program at the Club. Most said they liked the salad. One girl said “this was not her thing”, but went on to eat her portion. The boys who made the salad gave it a “thumbs up”. Juliette has found that children quickly adapt to healthier eating patterns. “In fact,” she explains “the other day, I offered to have them bake cupcakes and they told me ‘not again! We already had cupcakes at school; we would REALLY prefer to make fruit salad.’”
Juliette believes that our culture fails to reinforce healthy eating which is why her not-for-profit organization, Healthy Living, works to create an awareness that can lead to positive changes in the lives of even the most disadvantaged children.
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