Lions Teach Kids To Eat Healthy At Eastern Market
DETROIT (WWJ) - The Detroit Lions are helping take kids through their paces -- in a program intended to keep them healthy. Students from Spain Elementary were in Detroit on Tuesday in Eastern Market, having fun and learning to make healthy food choices.
Students had a chance to play games like foursquare and jump rope with Lions mascot Roary and former Lions safety, native Detroiter Ron Rice.
Detroit Lions' executive chef Joe Nader spoke with students about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and how to use fresh fruits and vegetables to make healthy snacks.
"We're getting into apple season here in Michigan," Nader said. "I showed the kids how easy it is to make homemade apple sauce, so that they don't have all of the sugar and extra additives in it that you would get if you were buying something store-bought."
Helping to organize the event, Liz Kohn, the Associate Director of Development for the Fair Food Network, works with local elementary schools and the Lions to help teach the students how to eat right.
"Fair Food Network operates a program called Double Up Food Bucks," Kohn said. "It's in about 100 food markets statewide, one of which is right here at Eastern Market."
Fair Food Network is a non-profit organization that works in Southeast Michigan to bring awareness to the community about health and food issues.
"It's a wonderful program," Kohn said. "It matches federal food assistance dollars spent at the farmers market. So any time a customer uses a Bridge Card at this market, they'll get twice their value, up to $20, to spend on Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables."
The event was hosted in a partnership between the Detroit Lions, Eastern Market, Fair Food Network, The United Way of Southeast Michigan, Playworks Detroit, Wayne State University, and Gleaners Food Bank.
