'Fresh Grub' has kids tasting different fruits and vegetables

CALWA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Getting kids to eat their fruits and vegetable is no easy task. So today, Fresno Unified kicked off a "Fresh Grub" campaign where students are introduced to new produce.

Nearly two hundred students at Calwa Elementary School took part in a taste test on Wednesday afternoon. The sampling of a new kind of produce is part of Fresno Unified's "Fresh Grub" initiative.

"So the idea is try to expose kids to new fruits and vegetables in ways they may not have seen them before to get them wanna eat them a little bit more and be healthier," said Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas, Fresno Unified.

On the menu for this group of students was Jicama. The vegetable looks like a potato and kind of tastes like an apple. Students tried it plain and with a touch of lemon and for many it was a first.

"Umm, yeah. I've never tasted it before. It tasted like an apple but it had more flavor in it. It was the lemon," said David Arellano, Student.

Fresno Unified is working with UC CalFresh to get locally grown produce to schools in the Central Valley. The connection will have fresh grub introducing different kinds of fruits and vegetable to students.

"That was one of the reasons why we wanted to try this out as well. It is going to give us an idea, a foundation of if these food will be popular with the students or not when they roll them out at the schools," said Karin Macias, UC CalFresh.

UC CalFresh and Fresno Unified are cooking up different ideas on how to serve Jicama. Students could soon be eating it as tacos or french fries in the school cafeteria.

"It is always an amazing experience to see kids try something for the first time because they are really honest with how they feel. And they really are excited about trying new things and it is really great to get that feedback from them," said Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas, Fresno Unified.