The Perfect Healthy Snack, and a Sesame Street Favorite
According to Camille Holladay, who is the public member on the Oregon Blueberry Commission, she and her son, 21-month-old Atom Holladay, read a lot of books.
One of Atom’s favorites is the Sesame Street book titled “Cookie Monster’s Food Truck.”
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Cookie Monster |
“I’d say we’ve looked at it every day in the last month,” Camille said.
Through pictures and words, the book brings to life several concepts Camille hopes stick with Atom throughout his life. There is the healthy-eating aspect of it as the book emphasizes the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and eating all the colors of the rainbow. And there is the explanation that food comes from a farm and not a grocery store, a concept Camille believes is important, particularly given the disconnect most citizens have when it comes to the origins of food these days.
“I think is very important for children to have that connection to the farm,” Camille said, “and considering how few children grow up on a farm and how far removed they are from that, it seems very important to try to make that connection in a book.”
Another aspect of the book that Camille likes is its emphasis on blueberries.
“It has several pages dedicated to berries, and specifically blueberries, and I was tickled to see that,” Camille said.
The book includes a recipe for Bert and Ernie’s Blueberry and Strawberry Salad and an explanation of how blueberries grow, complete with a picture of a blueberry bush.
“Blueberries start out small and green,” the book’s author Heather E. Schwartz writes. “As they grow, they turn pink. Then they turn blue and juicy. They are ripe and ready to pick.”
Camille Holladay |
The book, it turns out, was a Christmas present for Atom, who is a big fan of the television show Sesame Street, which has a recurring segment of the Cookie Monster and his Food Truck.
“My husband bought this book and thought that my son would like it,” Camille said. “And he likes it quite a bit.”
Atom, it turns out, is also a big fan of eating berries, and especially blueberries.
“We eat berries all the time,” Camille said. “We always keep berries in the house, and so, Atom recognizes them when we flip through books. He points out berries, and, specifically, blueberries.
“He definitely likes them.”
As for Camille, who with her husband owns and operates Synergistic Pesticide Lab in Portland, she too is a big fan of the fruit. From a mom’s perspective, she said, they are the perfect healthy snack.
“One thing I’ve noticed, being a mom of a young child, is that blueberries are easy,” Camille said. “Not only are they tasty, they are convenient for small children, and they are healthy.”
As for the book’s message of eating healthy, it is a message Camille hopes resonates with Atom throughout his life. “That was one of the reasons we wanted to get it for him, to promote healthy eating and healthy habits through his life,” she said. “And I think that is the goal of the book.”