TOLEDO, Ohio — It's tempting to reach for the bag of chips or cookies even though we know it's not good for us.
Students at Jones Leadership Academy of Business are learning how they can live healthier lives. It's thanks to a partnership with Toledo Public Schools, Ohio State University Extension Office and the Neighborhood Health Association.
Suzanne Saggese with OSU Extension walked the students through making a zesty whole-grain salad on Thursday. She also armed the students with tools to help them make good choices.
"Really, the power of being able to read a nutrition label. And taking that information and those facts and making that choice in an informative manner," Saggese said.
The students learned things like limiting fat, sodium, cholesterol and added sugar and adding more fiber and vitamins to their meals. They were also exposed to food they'd never had, like kale and quinoa.
This is the third program the Neighborhood Health Association has hosted at the school this year, focusing on health. The first zeroed in on hygiene, the second on emergency response and now, food.
"We just wanted to give them a reminder of how to make better choices with your food, how to shop. How to save money when you shop. How to shop outside of the healthy aisles," Monica Morales with Neighborhood Health Association said.
When the salad was all said and done, the students said they were surprised at how much they liked it.
"It tasted better than I expected," sophomore Isaiah Mitchell said. "Sweeter than I expected, too."
The lesson was inspiring for the students.
"I'm going to try to eat healthier, stop eating so much fast food," seventh-grade student Calvin Lyons said.
Principal Ward Barnett said he hopes the students take what they've learned back home to their families.
"Your family may be accustomed to eating something where something was more fatty to give it flavor," Barnett said. "So they're going to teach them there's a way to give it flavor to the food but in a way that's healthier for your body."
The students were also versed in making healthier choices at fast-food restaurants.