VALDOSTA — Telling children to eat their fruits and vegetables can oftentimes be as difficult as getting them to finish their math homework.

But through a federally funded grant, three local schools are encouraging their students to try asparagus, mango and muscadines — foods they may not normally be exposed to.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program provides all children in participating schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables.

The goal of the program is to create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices and expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience.

The United States Department of Agriculture grant started out as a pilot program, and 2008 is the first year the state of Georgia has been able to participate in the program.

J.L. Lomax Elementary School, Clyattville Elementary School and J.L. Newbern Middle School are feeding their students fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks in the classroom three days a week.

“The grant lets us introduce new fruits and vegetables to the students that we can’t afford through the lunch program or that parents can’t afford,” Valdosta City School System nutritionist Beth Flesher said.

Both Flesher and Lowndes County School System nutritionist Joyce Akins applied for the grant. J.L. Newbern and Clyattville received funding through the grant.

Money for the program at J.L. Lomax is coming through the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Grower’s Association.

“The major purpose of the program is to introduce fruits and vegetables to children, especially those that might not have the opportunity because of the area they are from or their financial situations,” Akins said.

Both Flesher and Akins directed the grant to schools with high need in an effort to help reach out to low-income schools.

“We are trying to impact their diet and health,” Flesher said. “We are trying to combat childhood obesity.”

The three schools Flesher included in her original application have free lunch programs for the entire student body.

Akins said Clyattville was chosen for the grant because it has the highest free and reduced-price lunch count in the system.

Newbern Middle School started their program in September. This is the first week of the program at J.L. Lomax, Flesher said.