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Mark Dyball, executive chef of the UCLA Medical Hospital, speaks to children from LaFayette Prima

“Let me see your teeth.”

This is what Carlton Green asked 40 kindergarteners early Friday morning.

Green, director of nutrition at the UCLA Medical Center’s Nutrition Department, had passed around false teeth to explain to the children – some grossed out – that if they did not eat right their teeth would look like the decayed teeth they were holding in their hands.

The presentation taught healthy eating habits to kindergarteners and was part of a field trip which included a tour of the Medical Center Hospital cafeteria and a large, healthy lunch.

“We felt with all the expertise on our staff, including 15 registered dieticians and 10 registered diet technicians, we could share that expertise with the children and make it fun for them,” Green said.

Three classrooms from La Fayette Primary School near downtown Los Angeles toured the cafeteria and learned healthy eating habits as part of the Los Angeles Unified School district’s Nutrition Network.

The Nutrition Network was a natural partnership between La Fayette and UCLA’s nutrition department.

La Fayette kindergarten teacher Jill Manning, a UCLA alumna, is married to Mark Dyball, executive chef of the nutrition department.

“My kids were excited to come here,” Manning said. “For most, this is the farthest they’ve been from their houses.”

Once a month the Nutrition Network brings a box of fruits to La Fayette as a way to teach children about various fruits and vegetables that they might not know exist.

“This is a way for kids to try things they’ve never tried before,” she said. “We are opening up their horizons through food.”

La Fayette has also invited parents to discuss their children’s eating habits through workshops and conferences.

Manning stressed that healthier eating choices “are healthier on their pocket books too.”

When parents compare a bag of apples to a large bag of chips, said Manning, they are amazed at how much they can save while eating healthier.

The workshops also teach parents that they are in charge of their kindergarteners’ eating habits. Unlike 12-year-olds, kindergarteners do not make choices based on peer pressure or other factors, and they mostly listen to what their parents tell them.

“We want to reach out into the community and bring out children from disadvantaged areas and share with them the foundation of good health that starts with nutrition,” Green added.

The cafeteria makes 7,000 meals for patients and staff members per day, which offer eight different diets for hospital patients alone.

The cafeteria was recently voted best nutrition department in the nation by the National Restaurant Association.

“We’ve achieved a lot here and now we want to give back to the community,” Dyball said.

Dyball is planning to take a team of chefs to LAUSD schools in the summer to talk about healthy meals and to encourage parents to feed their children more fruits and vegetables.

According to Cheryl N. Yamashita, principal of La Fayette and also a UCLA alumna, the one-day tour and presentation also helped the teachers.

“We don’t always apply what we know. (The healthy eating presentation) supports what we know,” Yamashita said.

The field trip ended with a healthy lunch for the children. The kindergarteners used both hands to carry their heavy servings, which included fresh fruits, nuts, chicken tenders, pasta, cheeses, crackers, orange juice, yogurt and bottled water.

The vendors who sponsored the lunch at UCLA included Tyson Chicken, Dannon Yogurt, Select Produce and Food Sales West.