San Diego school kids learned about the types of fruits and veggies available at their neighborhood grocery store. It’s part of an effort to curb childhood obesity in low-income areas. KPBS reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.
Audio: This is an artichoke. Ok. So this a flower. Broccoli is a flower, too.
First graders in City Heights got the crash course in Albertson's produce section. The Network for a Healthy California organized the tour. The group says one in three San Diego kids is overweight. The network targets poor and minority communities because obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are big problems there.
Seven-year-old Andrea Ramirez says she learned a plant's color gives clues about its health benefits.
Ramirez : Like orange is good for your eyes, red is good for your heart, and green is good for your teeth and bones.
Nutrition experts hope these kids will help to educate their parents. Guadalupe Estrada has four young kids. She says it’s hard to make healthy meals, especially when she's used to making certain dishes.
Estrada : You know like enchiladas, tortas, gorditas, tacos everything, and everything is not really healthy. I have to admit, you have to try, we have to really try.
The group says adult obesity is also on the rise. About half of the adults in San Diego are overweight.
Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.
