Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

EG Wahlstrom Elementary School students have the opportunity to learn a bit about cooking.

For the last three years, Lynn Bain, education assistant, has run the nutrition program at the school. Every day for three periods, small groups of students come to help get the food ready for their schoolmates.
“I enjoy my time with the kids,” says Bain. “I just let them talk. If sometimes, they’re not engaged I ask some questions and get them going.”

On January 24, students were making apple chewy bars. In one period, students made six batches of these no-bake granola bars. They measured the ingredients, stirred them up, and rolled them out into balls. They are then frozen and packaged.

For some students, the nutrition program is the first time they’ve used a measuring cup. Understanding the different fractions is part of cooking.

“They learn math,” says Bain.

Some of the kids have never baked or done much in the kitchen, says Bain. “Some of them just know the microwave.”

A highlight in the kitchen is the air popcorn popper.

“They are amazed how it pops,” says Bain.

Students also cut up fruit and bag veggies for the lunches.

“We cut up the oranges and freeze them, and the kids love them,” says Bain.

The nutrition program provides food throughout the day to students.

“We do the breakfast program,” says Bain. This is one snack per child in every classroom.

“We also do a lunch program, so we make lunch for students who don’t have lunches,” she adds. Students can also come into the kitchen to get snacks if they are hungry.