The New York Times Magazine has a story today on Alice Waters and her efforts to reform both children’s attitudes toward agriculture and nutrition through hands-on projects at The Edible Schoolyard, and her newer endeavors to expand nutrition awareness and improve eating habits through reforming school lunch, starting with her home base of Berkeley.
The piece is informative, sympathetic, and a good starting point for learning more about Water’s efforts and the groundswell they both drive and reflect.
Some excerpts:
“Waters is onto something: teaching about new foods, emphasizing participation and offering choices are all critical to nudging children toward better diets. A Cornell University study found that elementary-school students who were educated about healthier options introduced in the cafeteria were significantly more likely to sample the new items, and a U.C.L.A. study found that adding a salad bar to the cafeteria, which allows kids to choose their own fruits and vegetables, increased produce consumption at lunch 40 percent among low-income kids. ”
and
“But that’s the thing about Alice Waters: practicality is not her starting point. She is a romantic, believing in her vision even when it seems unreasonable, going about making it happen and waiting for everyone else to catch up. Perhaps her plan for America’s schools will indeed be like her fine dining revolution, with its mixed lettuces and sumptuous peaches: years from now we’ll look back on today’s lunchtime offerings, which seem so inevitable, and see them for the soggy iceberg lettuce and canned string beans they are.”
The New York Times Magazine has a story today on Alice Waters and her efforts to reform both children’s attitudes toward agriculture and nutrition through hands-on projects at The Edible Schoolyard, and her newer endeavors to expand nutrition awareness and improve eating habits through reforming school lunch, starting with her home base of Berkeley.
The piece is informative, sympathetic, and a good starting point for learning more about Water’s efforts and the groundswell they both drive and reflect.
Some excerpts:
“Waters is onto something: teaching about new foods, emphasizing participation and offering choices are all critical to nudging children toward better diets. A Cornell University study found that elementary-school students who were educated about healthier options introduced in the cafeteria were significantly more likely to sample the new items, and a U.C.L.A. study found that adding a salad bar to the cafeteria, which allows kids to choose their own fruits and vegetables, increased produce consumption at lunch 40 percent among low-income kids. ”
and
“But that’s the thing about Alice Waters: practicality is not her starting point. She is a romantic, believing in her vision even when it seems unreasonable, going about making it happen and waiting for everyone else to catch up. Perhaps her plan for America’s schools will indeed be like her fine dining revolution, with its mixed lettuces and sumptuous peaches: years from now we’ll look back on today’s lunchtime offerings, which seem so inevitable, and see them for the soggy iceberg lettuce and canned string beans they are.”