More than 40,000 North Texas students are participating in a healthy snack challenge.
"Snacking is a big part of kids’ daily food intake, about 27 percent," according to literature provided by Medical City Children’s Hospital.
The 21-Day Challenge is a partnership between Medical City Children’s and eight school districts in the Metroplex. Students from the Allen, Frisco, Lewisville, Mesquite, Prosper, Richardson, Rockwall and Wylie independent school districts are participating.
More than 41,000 students in those school districts are competing against one another for the most children signed up and participating in creating and eating healthy snacks.
"Our mission is to help children develop lifelong healthy eating habits, starting with eating more fruits and vegetables at snack time," Medical City Children’s registered dietitian Jill Elliott said.
Elliott spoke with NBC 5 this week at the Allen ISD’s Lindsey Elementary School, one of several participating schools.
Jodi Measels is a teacher at Lindsey Elementary School and the mother of a kindergartner, William, participating in the challenge.
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"I just want this to be a habit [where] he just naturally wants fruits or vegetables or healthy things to eat," she said.
Like all of the 41,000 students participating in the challenge, William brought his mother home the "Kids Helping Kids" recipe book geared toward providing students with healthy and fun snack options.
