St. Francis students learn about food, nutrition and giving back through Peapod program

About 50 fourth-graders from St. Francis de Sales School in Lake Zurich learned how to get the biggest and healthiest bang for their food buck Tuesday, thanks to the Kids Give Back program courtesy of Peapod.

The students toured Peapod’s Lake Zurich warehouse facility to learn about the benefits of fresh food sourcing and storage, as well as the importance of nutrition in their own diets and making intelligent food choices.

The students personally selected $200 worth of groceries, funded by Peapod and donated to stock the shelves of the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, located at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Zurich.

“In Lake County alone, two out of five children are food insecure, and the food bank provides 5,000 pounds of food to 150 families each week,” said Jim Westney, co-chair of St. Vincent de Paul’s Anti-Hunger Ministry.

The Kids Give Back program teaches students about how many people in the country and local area don’t have access to healthy food on a daily basis. It also includes lessons on what people need in their diets, covering the basics about proteins, fats, sugars and more to give students a perspective on what to look for when they shop for food.

“The Kids Give Back program gives kids the opportunity to learn about nutrition, practice relevant math skills and understand how they can make a positive impact on their community through a special food bank donation program funded by Peapod,” said Peapod’s Associate Director of Marketing Mary Rose Nieses.