At the MIN in Nice we reconcile children with fruit and vegetables

The MIN d’Azur square received rather… unusual visitors last week. Two CE2 classes from primary schools in Nice (Aymé-Césaire and Magnolias) have been invited by the pantry of the Côte d’Azur. The goal? Pair them—for some—with fruits and veggies. For others: to (re)discover these products. However, this was not the only mission of the various professionals, associations and students who came specifically for the occasion.

Through the four fun booths and workshops, students were able to learn about seasonality, an interest in local, fresh food, etc.

Overview of the various activities punctuated this morning.

1 It was the “attraction” of the day. Chef Christian Ferrari led a fruit and vegetable cutting workshop to deconstruct a certain negative image of the youngest. “We are often told that they are not beautiful or good”, says the chef. Here we turn the product into an animal etc.”It’s like being in a restaurant and seeing a nice plate arrive. It’s much more appetizing than something ordinary being brought to us.” An orange in the shape of a mouse, a zucchini in the shape of a whale. Each group was allowed to have their own animal. “Carving fruit and veg was fun!”start in chorus Radoslav and Théo, asked about their favorite workshop of the morning.

2 A different stand, a different atmosphere. Here, students in the second year of BTS dietetics at the Sasserno high school focused in particular on seasonality and the importance of balanced meals. They also made the children aware of their interest in eating local using a planisphere. The advantage that children can easily understand: Reduction of C0 emissions₂ due to the long transport routes of food from distant countries.

3The association Les petits débrouillards wanted to desacralize science and make it accessible to everyone. Thanks to playful experiments, the animators were able to inform the children about the functioning of the digestive system.

4 At the Manon Soulié stand, children were asked to first identify fruits and vegetables before placing cards on a magnetic board to indicate whether they were growing: on the ground, underground, on a tree or elsewhere. “We’re trying to find clues to know how they grow. I also try to ask them how we can cook them, what different varieties there are, etc.” explains the member of the Interfel association. “I didn’t know zucchini grew in the fields remembers Chahine. It’s good to talk about fruits and vegetables, it makes us smarter and it’s good for our health!”