If a fruit or vegetable is red, it's good for the heart.

If it's blue like blueberries, it's good for the brain.

Orange or yellow protects you from illnesses, and green broccoli or zucchini is good for the eyes.

"I mention the colors, because kids love colors," Dan Hittle said after a recent Albertsons Healthy Eaters tour. "If you don't ask them questions and keep them involved, they won't retain it."

Throughout the 90-minute tour, Hittle asked the group of about 15 children several times what each color meant.

The home school students, ages 3 to 12, toured the Second Street Alberstons on Thursday with Hittle, the store manager.

Besides entering a freezer that was 10 below zero and talking to live lobsters, the children learned about how to eat a healthy diet.

Albertsons has offered tours for school-aged children for many years and began incorporating nutrition several years ago. Donna Eggers, public relation manager for Alberstons, said the store began its Healthy Eaters tour, a revamped version that contains many more health elements, this spring.

"We're trying to educate them so they eat healthier," Hittle said. "Just look at the obesity rates."

After the children put on their mini navy blue Albertsons aprons to match store employees, the tour began in the cereal aisle.

"Do you know why we're going to start there?" Hittle said. "What is the most important meal of the day?"

The children pointed to their favorite cereals - Raisin Bran, Cheerios and Kix - while Hittle told them why they should eat breakfast every day, even if it's just a quick granola bar.

In the cereal aisle, kids received their first of many healthy food samples, a handful of Oatmeal Cinnamon Squares cereal.

Keeping with the breakfast theme, Hittle pushed a shopping cart and the group to the bakery.

"Are doughnuts a good nutritional breakfast?" Hittle asked.

"No!" came unanimously from the kids ogling the iced and sprinkled doughnuts.

"Can we eat doughnuts?" he asked.

"Yeah!"

"But not all the time," he reminded the kids. Throughout the tour, he showed them "sometimes" and "everyday" food.

Fruits and vegetables are "everyday" foods, Hittle said. In the produce department, the children tasted fruits and vegetables they might have never tried: juicy clementines, kiwi fruit and red bell peppers.

Before he handed out the pepper, he asked the students if they liked peppers.

"I like paprika," said 7-year-old Savannah Birt.

Savannah, like most of the children, made a face when she tried the pepper and gave it to her mom, Amy, to finish.

Amy Birt, who went on the tour with Savannah and her other daughter, Lexi, 5, said her daughters were responding to what Hittle said and learning about the food pyramid.

"I know with our curriculum, we are going over healthy eating," said Birt, who is in charge of scheduling field trips for a group of home school families. "It's something they will take up and then the rest of their lives, they will be eating healthy and being healthier."

With grains and produce behind him, Hittle continued on to the next food group. The group headed to the deli where Hittle said chicken and turkey are the most healthy types of meat. The students learned how to make a healthy snack with wheat tortillas, cheese and lettuce.

"The wrap deal, that was the first time I had ever done that," Hittle said. "They actually liked it with the lettuce."

Then, the kids tried frozen grapes and chocolate Soy milk as healthy alternatives to foods they love to eat.

Hittle gave the children other tips such as drink water instead of soda, wash hands before eating and exercise to compliment a healthy diet.

"Do you know what happens when you don't drink water?" Hittle asked.

"You get a headache. I got one of those before," said 8-year-old Charity Palmer.

The children received a bottled water, a granola bar and a banana with their goody bag at the end of the tour.

While looking at the coloring books in the checkout aisle, Charity said, "This was so fun. I loved it."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

Book a snack

To schedule a tour for your class or children's group, call (800) 987-6409 or visit www.fieldtripfactory.com.

To schedule a tour for your class or children's group, call (800) 987-6409 or visit www.fieldtripfactory.com.]]->