Braeburn, Gala, Honey Crisp, and Rome are all varieties of Pennsylvania-grown apples, and on Wednesday, Oct. 27, school students across the state picked, sampled and celebrated these fruits during the seventh annual Apple Crunch celebration.
Supported by National Apple Month, Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program and Appeeling Fruit, the seventh annual Apple Crunch celebration encourages youth to make fruits and vegetables a regular part of a healthy, balanced diet. Over the past six years, schools, community youth organizations, local grocery stores and the apple industry have worked collectively to promote apples and apple products as a healthy snack.
Apple Crunch is a program of the Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. The event is held each October during National Apple Month, and schools celebrate by featuring apple recipes during lunch, holding apple tastings, incorporating apple lessons and activities in the classroom and visiting local farm markets and orchards.
“Research has found that one-quarter of school-age children do not touch vegetables and over one-third will eat no fruit during the course of a day,” said Center Executive Director Donna Kephart. “Yet, we’re delighted that more than 500 Pennsylvania schools celebrated Apple Crunch last year sending an important message of healthy eating to 175,000 students.”
The Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital is committed to helping youth and families in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania learn how to eat well, engage in regular physical activity, and incorporate healthy habits into their daily life. For more information about the center and its programs, visit www.nrgbalance.org.