The Heart-Healthy Family

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back to nature

Programs with the goal of getting kids to eat better diets are sprouting all over the country, from the Edible Schoolyard project in Berkeley, California, to the Slow Food in Schools National Project in schools from Arizona to Washington, D.C. The healthy common thread in these programs is that they teach kids to grow and harvest foods, which then are served in their school lunches. The goal is for kids to learn about fresh, healthful foods and move away from less nutritious, overly processed foods.

Taking this philosophy to heart is HealthBarn U.S.A., a healthy-lifestyle education program for children and their families in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Kids learn to grow, harvest, and prepare recipes with fresh, seasonal food. Together with their families they learn about nutrition and physical activity in the 12-week program.

“It’s all about connecting with family meals and family time together,” says Stacey Antine, M.S., R.D., founder and owner of HealthBarn. “At HealthBarn, we set the table, we prepare the food, and we sit down together. The kids love it.” The goal is for families to do the same, while learning where food comes from.

“I’ve had kids who started out being skeptical, but they left with a new appreciation for natural food,” she says. Parents are the key to success. For more information on these and other programs, visit: