Food Bank gift to help fight obesity in kids

A carrot-shaped check, made out to the Utah Food Bank, could be the first step toward battling obesity in Utah children.

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah awarded the $30,000 grant this week to the food bank's Kids Cafe, which serves hot meals to low-income children in after-school programs throughout the state. The grant will be used to educate youngsters about health and nutrition. One of every four children in Utah is overweight or at the risk of being overweight.

"Much of the problem is due to children's poor eating habits and lack of basic knowledge about nutrition," Jim Pugh, executive director of the Utah Food Bank, said.

The partnership, announced during National Nutrition Month, will help educate low-income families about the importance of good eating habits, Pugh said.

The check presentation at Salt Lake's Edison Elementary School came at the beginning of a free Family Nutrition Fair, where parents and their children were treated to a free Kids Cafe meal, healthy cooking demonstrations and body fat screenings.