Sweet, succulent, sticky - what is it about pineapples?

"Well, they're just really good," said Jayden Kay, a fourth-grader at McKinley Elementary School.

Pineapple is by far the most popular item in a snack program that serves fresh fruits and vegetables to students at eight Billings elementary schools.

"It's exotic," said Bert Reyes, the principal at McKinley.

The spiny yellow fruit is new to some children, and most of them quickly embrace it.

That's the idea behind the snack program, which introduces kids at McKinley, Miles Avenue, Washington, Ponderosa, Newman, Orchard, Broadwater and Bench elementaries to healthy foods they might not get elsewhere.

"Once they've tried them and gotten used to the textures and flavors, they look forward to the snacks," said Lori Booke, principal at Ponderosa. "We want them to learn to eat raw fruits and vegetables. They don't always get the opportunity at home."

Some families cannot afford fresh foods, while others choose not to eat them.

Some $172,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pay for the Montana school snacks, which include apples, carrots, oranges, celery, grapes and bananas.

Statewide, almost $800,000 in grant money buys snacks for students at 67 elementary schools.

"I have many students in my room who live in hotels," said Pat Lowthian, a teacher at McKinley. "I have lots of kids who have very limited resources for food."

"They're hungry, and sometimes they don't have extra food at home," Lowthian said. "You know how it is when you're hungry and you can't concentrate."

Despite what grownups might think about kids and vegetables, the snacks are immensely popular, Reyes said.

They are served after morning recess four days a week.

"If we miss a day, everyone knows," he said.

Adults in the schools can also eat the snacks, and leftovers are available throughout the day.

"At the end of the day, if there's extras, they're in a bowl by the office," said Carolyn Yegen, McKinley's counselor. "You'll see kids snagging them. They take the extras home."

On Friday, students munched on apple slices. Apples are a close second to pineapple in popularity, Yegen said.

Celery sits at the other end of the spectrum. Students say it's stringy, but they still eat it.

"All the snacks are good," said fourth-grader Alexis Everett. "They're nice."

Contact Diane Cochran at dcochran@billingsgazette.com or 657-1287.