Giving Compass' Take:

• The Fauquier Reaches for Excellence in School Health (FRESH) program's goal is to teach students about what they put in their body. Activities include adding exercise to classrooms and healthier alternatives to school lunch menus. 

• How can we make programs like these more accessible to all? How important is it to instill awareness about good nutrition habits in schools?

• Here's more on how teaching our youth about nutrition can lead to empowerment. 

Carefully studying a chicken penne pasta recipe, students cut broccoli and stir a crème sauce after classes at Cedar Lee Middle School in Bealeton.

Part of the Fauquier Reaches for Excellence in School Health (FRESH) program, Cedar Lee’s after-school cooking club teaches students how to prepare healthy meals.

“It gives kids the knowledge to try healthy foods . . . and make a healthier choice,” says Beth Rathbone, the family and consumer science teacher who leads the after-school club.

“Healthy doesn’t scare them away at all,” Ms. Rathbone says. “They get excited to try the things we try.”

Read the full article about healthy eating by Cassandra Brown at Fauquier Now.