The program is introduced after daily morning exercises to ensure that all students have a healthy start to begin each school day.
Students can bring fresh or dried fruit and vegetables to eat. Often, extra fruit such as bananas, mangoes and watermelon are donated by local families who have farms and orchards.
Teachers have noticed how much more productive students tend to be in class after some healthy fruit in the morning and many parents are glad that the fruit they send to school is being eaten rather than finding it squashed in the bottom of their children's bag at the end of the day.
Fruit Bat is based on the Crunch&Sip primary school nutrition program, developed to increase the quantities of vegetables, fruits and water being consumed by children. It is an easy way to help kids stay healthy and happy!
The objectives of Crunch&Sip are to:
- Increase awareness of the importance of eating vegetables and fruit and drinking water
- Provide students, teachers and staff an opportunity to eat vegetables and fruit during Crunch&Sip time in the classroom
- Encourage students, teachers and staff to drink water throughout the day in the classroom, during break times and at sports, excursions and camps
- Improve the nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, among parents and community members
We also promote students drinking water throughout the day.
Water lost each day through breathing, sweating and going to the toilet needs to be replaced. Not drinking enough fluid results in dehydration which can lead to the reduced ability to concentrate, headaches and irritability. By the time a person is thirsty, they are already becoming dehydrated.
Children rarely drink enough during break times at school and often forget to drink unless reminded. Students who are regularly reminded to drink water and who are able to bring a water bottle into the classroom drink more and are less likely to become dehydrated.