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Tuesday, March 19
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

Third annual GarlicFest teaches healthy choices

Garlic Fest

Garlic, Inc., a local non-profit educational organization, put the Bloomington Garlic Festival together to inform children and adults about growing healthy food and healthful consuming behaviors. The festival spanned Saturday and Sunday.

“The whole thing is to teach kids and adults, ‘if you can’t read it, don’t eat it,’” said David Cox, executive director of Garlic, Inc.

Among the featured items: garlic chocolate chip cookies. A 5-year-old girl was seen tasting garlic chocolate chip cookies.

“Could you add garlic to everything?” she asked her mother. “Even lemonade?”

Garlic is a seasoning that can be traced through history. Cox said garlic reaches back to an earlier time in the Middle East.

“Beirut in Lebanon,” he said. “It was a French (influenced) country. So you have the Middle East cuisine with everything having garlic on it, and you have the French-infused food. The two together is just good, irresistible for the most people.”

Volunteers came from places as far as the Chicago suburbs to lend assistance.

Melissa Lahn, a nutrition educator at the festival, said education was a forefront of the event.

“We hope to educate children about planting, consuming local produce and building up a healthy diet,” Lahn said. “Because that way they can easily carry the knowledge, habits and passion with them for the rest of their life.”

The mission is showcasing healthful eating through garlic foods communicated with the public, Cox said. Bloomington witnessed an inspiring change of direction of the consuming behavior of foods.

“I think in the last 10 years, it’s becoming healthier,” Cox said. “We are trying to get more kids involved, knowing what they are eating and how to get it.”

Living on a healthy diet is rather crucial for everyone, said Megan Walters, a Bloomington resident and mother of two.

“I enjoy visiting and shopping at the Farmer’s Market and stores featuring a lot of local and organic produce like Bloomingfoods,” she said. “I’m never a fan of any kind of processed foods.”

Not only did the public participate in the health-conscious event enthusiastically, but a variety of local businesses showed great support, Cox said.

“We are really backed by the whole community,” Cox added. “Local restaurants come showcase their healthy recipes, motor companies and local real estate firms.”

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