Challengers Boys and Girls Club Members Get Their Hands Dirty, But Mom Would Approve

Planting gardens improves kid's attitudes toward fruits and vegetables

The Challengers Boys and Girls Club is planting an American Heart Association Teaching Garden as part of an education initiative to help build healthy bodies and minds. The Planting Day Celebration will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Challengers Boys and Girls Club, 5029 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. This is the first of 10 Teaching Gardens in Los Angeles made possible by a grant from The California Endowment.

The Challengers Boys and Girls Club Teaching Garden was created using American Heart Association science and nutrition guidelines coupled with information from gardening and education experts, all thanks to Teaching Garden founder Kelly Meyer. The program combines nutrition education with garden based learning. It is a real-life laboratory where students learn how to plant seeds, nurture growing plants, harvest produce and ultimately understand the value of good eating habits. Numerous studies have shown that participation in school garden programs can have a positive impact on student's attitudes toward fruits and vegetables.

• Nearly one in three American children are overweight or obese.

• American eating habits are leading to modern day "malnutrition," with diets full of foods high in calories but don't meet their nutritional needs.

• French fries are the most common source of vegetables consumed by children and make up one-fourth of their vegetable intake. Juice, which may lack important fiber found in whole fruits, accounts for 40 percent of children's daily fruit intake.

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