Palmyra Primary School Year 1 students Lexi McMullen and Sam Norris with Olympian Joel Swift and Year 6 students Gabby Wilson and Harry Mackinnon.
Camera IconPalmyra Primary School Year 1 students Lexi McMullen and Sam Norris with Olympian Joel Swift and Year 6 students Gabby Wilson and Harry Mackinnon. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Palmyra Primary students get crunch and sip message from Rio Olympian

Jaime ShurmerMelville Gazette

WATER polo centre forward Joel Swift returned from the Rio Olympics to meet aspiring players and espouse the benefits of healthy eating as guest speaker during the annual Crunch and Sip campaign at Palmyra Primary School.

The children needed no encouragement to chow down on a platter of raw vegetables for the collective ‘Great Aussie Crunch’.

The school already has a rambling kitchen garden filled with vegetables to challenge the palate including Brussels sprouts, khol rabi and broad beans.

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Principal Hugh McCrackan said the school emphasised sustainability, not only from an environmental perspective but also for wellbeing of the students physically and mentally.

“We celebrated our centenary three years ago and the school originally had vegetable gardens to feed the kids,” Mr McCrackan said.

The school published a cookbook to mark its centenary, and is building an outdoor classroom in the school garden using funds from the City of Melville.

Statistics show only one in six WA children eat the recommended daily intake of vegetables, while most each the right amount of fruit; a figure the Crunch and Sip program hopes to turn around.

Swift encouraged students to eat a balanced diet for general health and energy.

Palmyra Primary School was one of 80 schools to take part in the Great Aussie Crunch.