Fresno food company to debut healthy nutrition plan for kids

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno company is helping young kids eat their fruits and vegetables.

Apples are coming down the line and being sliced and diced at 1st Quality Produce in southeast Fresno and soon they'll be in the hands of local students.

"The days of tater tots are over," company CEO Mike Kahaian said. "So, they're getting a healthy snack and fruit or vegetable."

Kahaian's company sells produce to school districts, and now the company is getting ready to unveil a new line called "Snack Buddies" featuring active characters from Broccoli Ballerina to other fun buddies.

"They will be characters on there associated with fun facts about what the food is and what nutritional values they may be, where they are from to really get the kids not only eating it but understand where it came from," he explained.

1st Produce also has their own local farm.

They hope to educate students and also one day put these veggies in the hands of students. The Snack Buddies will be full of mostly local produce.

"So as we travel there will be strawberries, tree fruit, there will be melons, watermelons," Kahaian said. "We also have vegetables we will have squash to fulfill that whole nutritional requirement, we have to do a little bit of everything."

Officials say the fresh produce will give kids get the nutrition they need, while helping the battle against childhood obesity.

"When the school year begins, 1st quality will be sending out about 2 million packets of snack buddies from their facility a month all though California."