Federal grant helps put a fresher twist on school snacks

Papayas, mangos and guava don't pack the same high-sugar punch as cakes and cookies, but at three Northeast Georgia schools, students are finding that the exotic snacks might be just as satisfying.

Students like second-grader Alex Robinson are getting to try the fruits as part of a $101 million federal nutritional initiative this year, called the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, to promote and encourage healthier eating habits with a cornucopia of fruits and veggies.

Robinson and his peers at Chase Street Elementary School in Clarke County, Hull-Sanford Elementary in Madison County and Commerce City Elementary in Commerce are getting fresh produce this school year through the United States Department of Agriculture grant.

In the program, the regular vendors that supply school cafeterias deliver fruit and veggies, some from local farms. Cafeteria workers slice and prepare the fruit, and students or teachers cart the food back to classrooms where kids are encouraged to eat at their desks, in hallways or at recess.

At Chase, students don't have any trouble devouring more common foods like watermelon or grapes. Last week, though, some weren't sure what to make of papaya after trying it for the first time.

"I liked it," Robinson said. "It tasted kind of like watermelon. I can't explain it, but it was good."

The three local s

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