Progress students learn to make healthy treats

“Do not eat your cone just yet.”

That’s one of the directions Linda Langsett, the chief cook at Progress Elementary School, is giving to a group of 18 squirming fifth-graders, each holding a waffle cone and waiting for permission to fill it with the fruit salad they just made.

It’s Wednesday afternoon and the students gathered in the gym are part of Dr. Cleo’s Cooking Club, a six-week healthy cooking program sponsored by Molina Healthcare.

Erica Newton, community engagement coordinator with Molina, is there for the afternoon.

“A lot of what we do is having the kids taste things they may not be used to,” Newton said. “We sometimes get a lot of no’s to begin with.”

On the menu is an after-school snack of three kinds of hummus and vegetables, drawing reviews from “gross” to “I like the spicy one” from the students, before they begin making fruit salad.

Langsett said the cooking class is about showing the students variety.

“Peppers don’t always have to be green, they can also be red and orange and then they taste differently,” Langsett said.

Newton said the program is aimed at fighting childhood obesity and one of its goals is to show students how recipes for foods like muffins and smoothies can include healthy ingredients.

Langsett said she was a little concerned about the class to begin with.

“It was definitely outside my comfort zone,” Langsett said. “But they are great kids and I already know them.”

Progress students had to apply for the cooking class, which is designed for 15 – but she took in 18, because so many wanted to do it.

Students divided into groups, and began chopping bananas, grapes and kiwi, which is then mixed with vanilla yogurt.

This will be the dessert served during a family dinner they are planning and making during their graduation ceremony.

“It is fun,” said Faith Vavra, 11. “We’ve learned that things can be good and healthy at the same time.”

Some of the students cook at home – they make scrambled eggs, hot dogs and other simple things – but no one’s intimidated by the cooking for the graduation ceremony.

“I’ve learned a lot,” said Allie Hamilton, 11. “Like, you have to wash your hands a lot.”