Nicaragua: 6 Reasons for Eating Healthy According to Kids

In Nicaragua, more than half of the population is under 18 years old. That’s why Horizons’ partner ACOAR (The Oscar Arnulfo Romero Assocation for Socio-Cultural Promotion) is working with young people in the communities of Nandaime, Nicaragua to involve them in activities contributing to community development.

Their current project focuses on education for children from 9 to 12 years old on how they can help protect the environment both at school and at home. ACOAR has recruited 63 students to participate in a “Green Action Movement” where participants are learning to grow their own food in community gardens. As these children learn to grow their own vegetables and fruits, they are also receiving lessons on the importance of eating locally and how including this food group in their diet will help keep them healthy.

Here are 6 lessons from kids in Nandaime, Nicaragua about Healthy Eating:

Génesis, 9 years Old

“I learned that we should eat healthy because then we will have a healthy life because fruits and vegetables give us strength because they have vitamins that make our bodies strong. We also learned how to make healthy snacks and that junk food is bad for us because they have no nutrients for our bodies and can make us sick. I am practicing what I have learned by taking care of my own garden where I planted fruit trees.”

Calixto, 9 years old

 “Fruits and vegetables give us energy, help us grow, motivates us and makes us smarter and that’s why we should eat them. We should all commit to eating fruits and vegetables so that we all grow strong and healthy.

Ayeris, 10 years old

“I have learned that it’s important for me to eat fruits and vegetables. And that as a member of the Green Movement I will plant fruit trees at school. I am going to talk with the principal so that our school’s snack bar sells healthy food. I really liked the workshops because we learned how to eat healthy and read the nutrition guide table.”

Marcos, 14 years old

“It’s important to eat fruits like mangoes, bananas, melons and watermelon because they give us lots of vitamins and kids should avoid junk food because they have a lot of preservatives that can make us sick. In this workshop I learned to eat healthy and I will share this with my friends.”

Asley, 9 years old

“It’s important to eat fruits and vegetables because they have minerals, calcium, vitamins and they help us growth healthy and strong.”

Meyling, 10 years old

 “It is healthy for our body to eat fruits and vegetables, my favourite fruit is watermelon. In the workshop I learned that it’s important to avoid junk food and choose fruits instead.”