PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Jennifer Cloverdale shows Ingalls students, from left, Meliangela Cabrera, Armani Arzola and Michael Ruiz how to make a smoothie using kale.
LYNN — Ingalls School student Armani Arzola likes french fries slathered with cheese and bacon. But Jennifer Coverdale hopes to nudge the third-grader and his classmates into developing a taste for kale, banana and apple juice smoothies.
“This is something new,” acknowledged Ingalls Principal Irene Cowdell as she watched Arzola and four classmates tentatively swallow the bright-green concoction.
Beginning in two weeks, the children and almost 100 of their classmates will participate in a 10-week cooking course scheduled from 2-3 p.m., after the regular school day ends. Ford and Callahan students are also participating in a nutrition program — similar to Ingalls’ — linking nutrition training to science curricula and a learning-by-doing experience of growing and harvesting food in each school’s garden.
“The kids are looking forward to it,” Cowdell said. “This is hands-on, embedded knowledge they can share at their dinner table and open up conversations on.”
The course is a collaboration between Ingalls, Food Corps and the Food Project. Boston-based Food Project maintains a farm-style garden next to the four-year-old garden tended by Ingalls students. Operating nationally, Food Corps has 10 Massachusetts locations, including Lynn, where Coverdale is working with local students.
Coverdale introduced Arzola and his classmates to kale shakes Monday by urging them to dump ice into a blender and take turns running the machine. Nallelie Acevedo said she likes bananas and is looking forward to cooking after school. At home, she helps prepare rice, beans and chicken for dinner.
Third-grader Michael Ruiz quickly found a way to improve on Coverdale’s kale drink by recommending the addition of pineapple, orange juice and coconut.
“I think it would be really good,” he said.
Coverdale’s course will focus on preparing foods from different countries, but will also give the students a chance to make pizza from scratch. The course will end with students taking advantage of spring weather to plant in the Ingalls garden and learn how to cultivate the vegetables they used as meal ingredients in the cooking classes.
“When kids are empowered to make great food, it empowers them to make healthy food choices,” Coverdale said.
On Monday, after some hesitation, Arzola tried a small cupful of kale shake before revealing what he would really like to eat.
“I’d like to make a zombie cake,” he said.
Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].
