Grapple, The New Grape Apple Makes Its Way To School’s
Back in 2004 the Grapple was introduced to a nationwide audience on America’s favorite TV quiz show, Jeopardy. Not many were aware of this grape flavored apple. Since then the innovative fruit has made eating them even easier by offering Grapple slices.
Recently, the US Department of Agriculture approved a grant for $124,280 (hmm, I guess they forgot how to round up) that allowed fresh fruits and vegetables to be sampled to 25 North Carolina schools of various economic backgrounds. Grapples and Pluots (plum apricots) are just two of the many non-traditional fruits that will soon be offered to students. Others include Alabama Satsumas , kumquats, starfruits, and pomegranates.
Apparently in order to be eligible for this grant at least 50% of the students needed to qualify for reduced-price meals. Hmm, if ineligible for this grant maybe school officials should start thinking of other out of the box ways to give students exposure to such exotic fruits and vegetables in order to encourage healthy eating. Something tells me that most parents would be more than willing to serve up an additional lunch allowance every now and then to give their child the opportunity to have a lunch n’ learn session during health/gym classes to taste test these fruits. Maybe instead of sending a uniform letter home they should send a pop quiz for parents asking if they know the difference between a tangerine and a Alabama Satsuma or the appropriate way to eat a Kumquat.