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FoodPlay, a nationally renowned theater company, will visit Mount Vernon this week to put on a lively performance in the high school auditorium promoting and celebrating the importance of eating healthy.
The FoodPlay performance will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Mount Vernon High School auditorium, 100 California Road.
The show will feature a colorful cast of characters that will juggle, perform musical numbers, show off magic tricks and involve the audience all while raising awareness about the importance of developing healthy nutritional habits in a child at a young age.
“We have to fight fire with fire,” FoodPlay Executive Director Barbara Storper said in a statement. “We need to use the same techniques advertisers use to get kids excited about healthy foods and healthy practices. Schools are the perfect setting to model healthy behaviors and educate students on how to make their choices healthy ones.”
At the performance, audiences will follow the plight of one of the FoodPlay team members who uses nutritious foods and healthy eating habits to realize his goal of becoming a world-class juggler through a well-balanced diet.
Children will be introduced to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “MyPlate” food guide, which shows them how to fill their plate with fruits and vegetables. The troupe also will stress other positive habits such as having breakfast, avoiding sugary snacks or soda and being active each day.
According to USDA-sponsored evaluations, “more than 75 percent of children reported increasing their fruit and vegetable intake, cutting down on soda and sweets, reading food labels more often, eating breakfast more regularly and being more physically active after participating in FoodPlay.”
Mount Vernon Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton said that while the students will learn about proper nutrition and healthy habits in the classroom, the lessons are ones that also can prove valuable to parents, who can bring the lessons home to share with the rest of their family.
“While students will take part in the performance throughout the week in their schools, it is equally important to share the message with their parents and families to encourage healthy habits not only in school but in our homes, too,” he said. “We are happy to welcome FoodPlay to the community.”
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