MORE school children across Victoria will learn about the importance of eating enough fruit and vegetables through a program run by the Melbourne Market Authority.
MarketFresh Schools co-ordinator Sharyn Dunstan said the program, which started in 2003, was designed to give children the confidence to try new fruits and vegetables and make learning about them fun.
It was hoped this would translate into the children developing a life-long habit of enjoying fresh fruit and vegetables every day and help boost sales of Australian-grown produce.
Ms Dunstan said feedback from presenters Teisha Dower and Carolyn Creed, as well as letters from children who had taken part in the program, had yielded some surprises.
"Some kids have never eaten celery or tasted an orange," she said.
"They've never had it in the house.
"A lot of children haven't tasted avocado and they love it the way we prepare it.
"They say 'I love it and I want to get Mum to buy it for me'."
Ms Dunstan said many of the growers who operated at the Melbourne market donated produce for the program, which also relies on up to eight volunteer parents spending an hour helping with food preparation ahead of each session.
The hour-long interactive sessions aim to introduce children to a range of fresh fruits and vegetables, increase their awareness of the importance of eating fruit and vegetables daily and give them the opportunity to try different varieties.
Ms Dunstan said she was keen to take the program to more schools in regional Victoria this year.
"Particularly those in hard to reach areas or smaller schools, who often miss out on metropolitan-based (educational) programs," she said.
For more details, visit www.marketfresh.com.au or phone (03) 9258 6179.
