'Teaching Gardens' Promote Healthy Habits for Kids

With the help of the American Heart Association, schools throughout Long Beach have planted "Teaching Gardens" to help elementary school students interact with nature and learn the value of healthy eating habits.

On Tuesday, Long Beach's Garfield Elementary will plant a garden of its own, adding it to the more than 30 schools across Long Beach and south Los Angeles that have adopted the Healthy Garden program.

According to the American Hearth Association, the Teaching Gardens target communities that generally lack access to healthy and affordable food.

"For many inner city children, Teaching Gardens provide them with the only interaction they have between nature and fresh produce," American Heart Association spokesperson Kristine Kelly said in a release. "This opportunity encourages kids to make health happen in their own community."

With funding from the California Endowment, the Teaching Gardens have reached nearly 7,000 students and more than 100 parents who learn how to use freshly grown produce to prepare healthy meals at home, Kelly said.

The final goal, the AHA said, is to promote healthier habits among children in a world where one in every three American children are overweight or obese.

Tuesday's garden planting at Garfield Elementary is one of the last of 10 gardens left to be planted in Long Beach. Students at the school will learn
how to plant seeds, care for plants, harvest the food and the nutritional benefits of the garden, Kelly said.