QPMA teaches kids to savour fruits and veggies

The Quebec Produce Marketing Association is putting a focus on making healthy eating fun.

The organization is distributing an educational toolkit to more than 2,600 early childcare providers in Quebec. The kit is designed to encourage children to discover and savour the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables.

According to a national survey carried out by the Quebec Statistics Institute, 80% of 4-year-olds don't eat the daily minimum of produce servings per day, as recommended by Canada's Food Guide. This study was the catalyst for QPMA's initiative to encourage kids to learn about the benefits of fruits and vegetables at a young age.

QPMA's first educational toolkit was successfully released in the fall of 2012.

This year's kit,  "Mandoline invites you to discover fruits and vegetables using the 5 colour groups," contains a poster and educational brochure with activities designed to help children learn about produce.