Blending nutrition and physical activity
Have you ever ridden a Blender Bike? On Friday, Oct. 14, Unionville Elementary first-graders rode one as part of the school's annual Fit for Life event. The event featured a variety of health, nutrition, fitness and safety presentations and speakers.
The students heard from Kelsie Bednarz, a clinical dietitian in School Nutrition Services for Union County Public Schools, on the value of eating well. She brought unsweetened frozen strawberries, bananas, orange juice and nonfat milk so they could help her prepare a smoothie and then sample it. Smoothies, according to Bednarz, are a quick and easy way to ensure that children and adults enjoy a nutritious breakfast.
Before beginning, Bednarz asked students questions about the vitamins and minerals in the items she had brought. Many students had heard about vitamins A, C and D and minerals like calcium and potassium. They had a good time guessing which ingredients had which vitamins or minerals.
The excitement ramped up even more when the students took turns pedaling the blender bike for about 30 seconds to power the blender attached to the front. The end result was a batch of delicious fruit smoothie samples for everyone.
The use of the blender bike was courtesy of the N.C. A&T State University Cooperative extension program.
10/19/2022