By Jim Beaugez

Good nutrition isn’t simply about eating greens every day — it’s about making a variety of fruits and vegetables a core part of a healthy diet. 

Across the U.S., though, statistics show kids aren’t consuming enough healthy, natural foods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one-third of young children do not eat fruit daily, while almost half of them do not have vegetables every day.

“Parents have trouble getting their children to eat more fruits and vegetables,” said Ali Hopson, a registered dietician and co-owner of Nutrition Matters. The solution, she said, is to “eat the rainbow,” or, in other words, to make a variety of natural foods part of their daily meal preparation.

“Connecting fruits and vegetables to the colors of the rainbow is a great way to get them to try a new one, or to hopefully increase their intake of fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Hopson and Francine Nosser, her partner in Nutrition Matters, are inviting parents and kids to learn about the array of fruits and vegetables they can add to their diets. Saturday at Catfish Row Museum, the duo will present “Eat the Rainbow,” a hands-on learning session designed to get kids comfortable with healthy foods and encourage them to reach for fruit or vegetables instead of pre-packaged and processed snacks.

Kids ages five to 10, accompanied by an adult, will get to play educational games about nutrition as well as prepare their own healthy snacks, such as fruit parfaits and vegetable wraps with the colors of the rainbow.

“We’re going to have different raw vegetables cut up for them, and they can make a rainbow with a little bit of cream cheese spread or other spreads for them to try,” Hopson said. “I think the parents will find that children are more inclined to try new food when you associate it with the colors.”

Hopson said they’ll focus on the benefits kids can see from choosing healthy foods over junk foods. 

“Instead of telling them about different vitamins and minerals that are in fruits and vegetables, which are great, I also think it’s good to tell them that eating more fruits and vegetables might help their brain stay sharper at school, it might help them stay healthier and not get sick, and it might help them run faster and be able to play better at school.”

The lasting benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables are lower rates of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in adults, as well as less risk of hypertension, stroke and obesity. The CDC found only about 10 percent of adults eat the recommended daily servings — meaning that changing eating habits in kids now can have generational benefits in the years to come.

“I think nutrition education is extremely important with the rate of chronic diseases in our state and all over the country,” Hopson said. “It’s very important to teach people that healthy foods are accessible and they’re easy to prepare and they can taste good, especially seasonal foods right now.”

Parents can register for “Eat the Rainbow” to reserve their spot by calling 601-738-5232 or emailing info@catfishrowmuseum.org. The event begins at 10 a.m.

The Catfish Row Museum Summer Chef Series, now in its second season, will also feature a demonstration by Jackson chef Nick Wallace on July 27, and an event with Geno Lee from Jackson’s Farish Street staple the Red Apple Inn on August 10.

“By involving and teaching children healthy habits when they’re young, and making them comfortable with trying new foods,” Hopson said, “hopefully they’ll want to eat at home a little bit more and feel more at ease in the kitchen.”