Nutrition educator spreads the word to kids about eating right

Stacy Robb, nutrition educator at the University of Missouri Extension Office in Marshall, visits 70-plus classrooms, sometimes seven times each, to teach children about good nutrition.

Her motto is, “Making good choices.” She visits every school district in Saline County providing programs that encourage kids, from preschool to middle school, to try fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains as snacks, instead of candy and fast food.
Among the classrooms visited are two of the smallest districts, Gilliam C-4 and Orearville R-IV.

“They have like 35 kids from kindergarten through eighth grade,” Robb said.

In comparison, the Marshall district has 200 to 250 children in just first grade, she added.
She doesn’t only put the curriculum together, but provides taste testing for students in her programs.

“If a kid can go home and say, ‘I tried spinach and I really like it,’ the mom will be more likely to try it,” she said.

“The more we can get everyone to avoid prepared food, boxed and canned, the healthier they will be. The closer to nature you can eat, the better you are.”

Robb said that there is far too much sugar in prepared foods. High fructose corn syrup is often added to canned vegetables.

“There was this little ditty on Nickelodeon that said, ‘If it ends in ose, it must be gross.’ ”
When introducing a fresh vegetable that kids usually don’t like, she spends part of the class talking about its healthful benefits, and then she has them try it without telling them what they’re sampling.

She places a few drops of low-fat ranch dressing on the vegetable and usually gets happy faces and positive results.

“I probably, as far as the spinach goes, have a 99.9 percent rate who like it,” Robb said.

“It’s not as important that they like it, it’s more important that they try it. If nothing else, that’s my goal, is to get kids to try new things. Then, they will learn to substitute better choices for that candy bar or potato chips.”

Instead of passing out recipes, she’s devised a handout with simple snack ideas that most children can assemble themselves.

“Kids want something to eat right when they get home, without a recipe,” Robb said. “As far as for kids, it’s got to be easy or they aren’t going to do it.”

Snacks are as simple as a banana and peanut butter roll-up. It can be easily made by spreading peanut butter on a tortilla, then rolling up a banana.

“The kids really like that one,” she said. “You can throw in any kind of fruit.”

To make a red, white and blue roll-up, just spread yogurt on the tortilla and roll up blueberries and strawberries. Tortillas also come in a variety of styles made with whole wheat, spinach or tomatoes.

Robb’s powered-up salsa is easily assembled with a can of white corn, a can of black beans and salsa. This is served up on bite-sized-tortilla chip dippers.

She also suggested making a salad and dessert using the food guide pyramid. A simple salad consists of fresh spinach (vegetable), mandarin oranges (fruit), sunflower seeds (meat), shredded cheese (milk), served with crackers (grain).

To make a healthy dessert, use salted peanuts covered with yogurt, fruit and granola, served with a celery stick.

“A lot of kids who don’t like celery will try it with yogurt,” Robb said.

Bananas placed on an ice pop stick and frozen make a great healthy snack, as well as frozen grapes.

Because so many children associate Robb with healthy eating, she must be mindful when she goes for groceries.

“I have to be careful when I shop because kids will run up and say, ‘What are you buying, Mrs. Robb?’ ”