Team Hamburger Support

By Matthew Reis
4th Grade, Stanislaus County
Gratton Elementary School - Pennie Segna, Teacher
Illustrated by Woodland High School

Joaquin is a typical seven-year-old boy. He is active and happy. He loves to swim, ride his bike, and play basketball. He lives in central California where farming is an important way of life. Joaquin does not like eating healthy foods and thinks farming has nothing to do with him because he loves junk food. Besides candy, pizza, French fries and soda, Joaquin craves fast food hamburgers the most! If he thinks a food is healthy, he won't eat it because it must taste bad.

Joaquin's mother, Beatrice, is always worried about his eating habits. He is always running out of energy and is starting to gain weight. Tonight she is going to make something really special. It is a healthier version of cheeseburgers, made at home from ingredients produced at local farms. She chose whole grain wheat buns, lean ground beef, low-fat cheddar cheese, vine-ripe tomatoes, and fresh lettuce.

At dinnertime, Beatrice calls Joaquin to the table. Joaquin is excited they are having hamburgers for dinner. He could smell them cooking all the way from his room. When he gets there, his dinner is already at his place.

"Yummy! I love junk food!" yells Joaquin.

Just then, he notices there is something wrong with his dinner. The bun is a funny brown color instead of white. There is lettuce and tomato on top of the hamburger patty. To make things worse, his patty isn't dripping in grease!

"Gross! What did you do to this cheeseburger?" yells Joaquin.

"I am worried about your eating habits so I called in Team Hamburger Support!" replies Beatrice.

"Who are they?" asks Joaquin.

Beatrice has a smart look on her face. "Team Hamburger Support is led by Patty Hamburger. She is the most important part of your meal. She is made with lean ground beef and she gives you twenty-nine grams of protein which help build your strong muscles. She also contains many vitamins and minerals like zinc and iron. Iron is important to your blood because it carries oxygen from your lungs to your muscles. Without that important oxygen, your muscles couldn't help you play."

Joaquin's eyes grew wide and Beatrice can tell he is listening.

"The next team member is Chuck Cheddar Cheese. He gives you twenty percent of your daily required calcium, which grows strong bones and teeth. He also has seven grams of protein for your muscles. He makes Patty taste so delicious!

"Sitting on top of Chuck, is the next team member, Tina Tomato! She not only gives you fiber, potassium, and magnesium, she provides large amounts of vitamin A, all of which nourish your skin and improve eyesight."

"Cool! Are you sure this one cheeseburger can do all that?" asked Joaquin.

"Yes, and there's so much more! The next part of the team is Luis Lettuce. He is amazingly thin and has a light taste. He is packed with vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and even one gram of protein. These all help you with blood clotting, in case of a cut or muscle contraction while playing, plus good blood pressure makes for a healthy heart."

"So, can Luis Lettuce help me run faster?" Joaquin asked.

"The whole Team Hamburger Support works together to help you do all the things you love to do," said Beatrice. "But, let's not forget the guy who holds the whole team together, Baxter Bun! He gives you lots of energy with his twenty-three grams of carbohydrates. Because he is a whole grain bun, Baxter provides fiber that helps you digest your entire cheeseburger. This is how all the parts of each team member goes to the right parts of your body. Baxter also contains folate and vitamins B1 and B3 which fight cancer. All together the Team Hamburger Support forms a healthy and delicious meal. That is not junk food at all."

Joaquin sits up tall and stares at his mom and then the cheeseburger. "Mom, I think I want to let the Team Hamburger Support help me become healthier, faster, and stronger." Then Joaquin picks his cheeseburger up and takes a huge bite. There are so many wonderful tastes!

After dinner, Joaquin feels full and energized. Joaquin goes out to play basketball with his friend. When his friend asks what he had for dinner, he tells him all about Team Hamburger Support.