Since September, students at Remsen Elementary School have been participating in monthly Eat Smart NY presentations in their classrooms. Each month the students are learning why it’s important to eat more fruits and vegetables, drink fewer sugary drinks and balance calories with physical activity. During each lesson students also help cook and get to sample the Eat Smart NY Harvest of the Month food.

In January, students practiced cooking a simple butternut squash dish. Two students from each class were chosen to prepare the recipe that included cubed squash, chopped onions and ground black pepper. Each student got a small sample of the squash cooked by their classmates to taste test.