School Veggie Patches teach kids about healthy food
McCAIN Foods today announced the launch of McCAIN School Veggie Patches, a program to teach primary school children about the origin and benefits of vegetables to encourage them to make healthy food choices, by planting and growing vegetables in their own schoolyard.
Award-winning chef and TV personality Pete Evans is excited to show his support for the McCAIN School Veggie Patches educational program, and urges schools to register and start collecting points to build their veggie patch. “As a dad, I recognise the importance of giving children the foundations for healthy living from an early age,” Evans said.
“Learning to make good food choices should be a part of every child’s development. McCAIN School Veggie Patches is a fun and practical initiative that will teach children first-hand about the food they eat, where vegetables come from and the importance of including vegetables in their daily diet.”
Nicki Anderson, Marketing Director, McCAIN Foods Australia and New Zealand, said she was proud to announce the program, which marks a significant commitment to children’s food education from McCAIN Foods. “We are passionate about educating children about the foods they eat and where they come from,” Anderson said.
“McCAIN School Veggie Patches aims to teach children about the benefits of healthy eating in a fun, outdoor environment. Involving children in the process of planting, growing and harvesting veggies is a great way to get them excited about eating veggies, and gives kids some of the building blocks for making healthy lifestyle choices.”
Primary schools across Australia and New Zealand have received an information pack with instructions on how to register their school for McCAIN School Veggie Patches. Once a school has registered for the program, parents, businesses, and community members can donate points to the school by collecting the barcodes on all McCAIN frozen vegetable packs, and McCAIN Purely Potato products.
Participating schools can redeem their points for everything they need to build and maintain a veggie patch, including seeds, tools and equipment; such as gardening gloves, wheelbarrows, water tanks and compost bins.
The program represents a $500,000 commitment from McCAIN Foods on garden equipment available to schools across Australia and New Zealand. There is also a microsite with online resources, games, student worksheets and educational quizzes to support McCAIN School Veggie Patches at www.mccainveggiepatches.com
