Friday’s free summer meal program at Shasta Park turned out to be a trifecta of sort.

Not only did youngsters between the ages of 2 through 18 enjoy barbecue hamburgers with the fixings, they also had a chance to shop around at the farmers market, using “dollars” provided by the Manteca Unified School District’s Nutrition Education Department.

On top of that, it was Fresh Fruits & Veggies Friday.

“They each received a free (small basket of) strawberries,” said Nutrition Education Supervisor Stephanie Huff of the event that promotes the consumption of fresh produce into one’s diet.

She especially thanked local produce wholesaler George Perry & Sons for donating to the nutritional cause.

Attendance was strong for the lunchtime gathering of grownups, youngsters and even the little ones. The park setting made it ideal for families and friends to picnic together.

Huff indicated the luncheon at Sequoia Park held that previous day featured a farmer’s market as well, tallying 198 people altogether.

The Shasta Park lunchtime gathering boasted similar numbers, she said.

Meanwhile, the farmer’s market for local youngsters offered both educational and nutritional value.

Each received a bag containing “Nutritional Education Dollars” valued at $3. “They shopped at the farmer’s market and to decide how to spend their ‘dollars’ — pay $2 for one watermelon and another ($1) item, or all $3 for an assortment,” Huff said.

The lesson here, according to the MUSD Nutrition Education, is children using valuable math and money skills with a further incentive to eat healthy.

But it’s not just the summer. Huff believes that healthy eating choices should be year-round.

The Nutrition Education Department, with support of Kaiser Permanente, will offer

The summer meal program will continue on through July 22.

Huff indicated that three more farmers market are also on the schedule for the following week.

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