COEUR d'ALENE — Elementary school students in Coeur d'Alene will continue to learn about the importance of eating healthy snacks to boost energy and productivity between meals.

Ed Ducar, director of nutrition services, said three schools in the Coeur d'Alene School District have received funding allowing them to participate in the federally funded and state-administered Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Borah, Bryan and Winton elementary schools will receive a grand total of $59,472.51 for the upcoming school year after qualifying for the grants, which Ducar said are given to the schools in the state with the highest numbers of students who have free or reduced-cost lunches.

"Since they're the most vulnerable kids in our district, sometimes before we got involved in the program they would not have a snack at all," Ducar said. "A lot of times, a student would have maybe not the healthiest snack that they brought in from home like a high-sugar snack, or dried Top Ramen."

The healthy snacks, according to Ducar, are not just typical fare like apples and bananas. Instead, Ducar said, the program emphasizes variety and students have the opportunity to try things like orange cauliflower, dragonfruit, kiwi, zucchini and Brussels sprouts.

"Each time we do that we send out some educational information to the teachers," Ducar added. "So they talk about the fruit or vegetable and we then encourage the kids to try it or have a 'no thank you' helping."

Many of the fruits and vegetables used as snacks between meals are then featured during the school meal period.

"So they're getting double exposed to it," Ducar said.

The three elementary schools are among 104 throughout the state to receive the grant funding, which will be used from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. According to a press release from the office of Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture as a way to give schools the opportunity to offer students samples of fresh fruits and vegetables.

"Focusing on increasing students' consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables will positively impact student health, and will ultimately support overall student wellness," Ybarra said in the release.

Ducar told The Press the district is beginning to study how increasing student exposure to healthy eating options is improving their attendance and academic performance. He added his department has already seen anecdotal evidence of the program's success.

"We get some comments from parents that when the kids go grocery shopping with them they are looking at all the different healthy options," Ducar said. "That's why we try to do a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in their original form — we want them to know where their food comes from."