Good News! School Lunches are about to get healthier

Have you heard? The USDA has issued new guidelines for school meals.  The new standards are supposed to go into effect on July 1^st and be phased in over a 3 year period.  These new and improved nutrition standards are based on recommendations provided by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academics and come as part of an effort to slow down the childhood obesity epidemic. 

Exciting highlights from the new nutrition standards include caloric minimums and maximums per meal based on the child’s age.  Sounds like common sense, right? Well, some schools currently offer their preschoolers the same portions they offer their 6^th graders!  Unbelievable! Also, and most importantly, new requirements mean more fruits and vegetables and more whole grain! Yippee…

Want to see what these changes will look like in a meal? Check out this before and after sample lunch menu provided by the USDA: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/cnr_chart.jpg

Interested in learning more about these guidelines? Visit the USDA website’s School Meals at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/regulations.htm

Schools are trying to do good... Breakfast in the Classroom

Check out this great article about a Colorado School that incorporated a Breakfast in the Classroom program. This is usually a very controversial issue in schools that perceive instruction time to be as valuable as gold. We all know that health and PE are the first to get cut when schools give all their time and resources to Math and English Language Arts (subjects that get tested). However, leaders who believe in the power of nutrition dare to bring in programs like Breakfast in the Classroom that end up improving test scores, attendance, nurse visits and behavior issues! Amazing...

Here is the article: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19864743. Let me know what you think!

Move More, Eat Healthy.

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I can't get my kid to eat my healthy meals!

Okay, so schools play a huge role in a child’s nutrition, but so do parents!  Do you ever feel that your kid is a picky eater?  Do you slave over a hot stove to make nutritious and delicious meals only to have your kids push it away or ask for cereal instead?  Whenever I present for parents on the topic of “Picky Eaters,” I always quote Registered Dietician, Ellyn Satter.  She says, “The secret to feeding a healthy family is to love good food, trust yourself, and share that love and trust with your child… When the joy goes out of eating, nutrition suffers.”  Satter teaches that it is the responsibility of the parent to provide healthy meals, offer these meals at scheduled times, and create a pleasant eating environment.  The responsibility of the child, on the other hand, is to simply choose which of the healthy foods they want to eat and how much.  I also reassure parents that it is perfectly normal for kids to reject foods.  Research shows that it takes up to 15 tries for a child to like a particular food!  Also, food jags are perfectly normal.  Don't worry, your kid will not turn into a 30 year old who only eats hot dogs.  

Feeling inspired?  Here are a couple of great resources from credible sources for your enjoyment J. 

Choose MyPlate – resources for preschool age children that might be picky eaters @ http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/picky-eaters.html

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – great article titled “why is my child a picky eater?” @ http://www.eatright.org/kids/article.aspx?id=6442467922

Nutrition & Physical Activity Help Your Kids Learn

Schools' priority is to make sure students achieve academic success. Attendance, academic standards, instructional minutes and test scores get a lot of attention, but what every educator and parent needs to remember that we need to also pay attention to the many factors that impact learning. Students that are well-nourished and who receive adequate amounts of physical activity do better in school. Evidence based research is showing a direct link between nutrition, physical activity and academic success. 

Did you know that…

·       Students who ate a school breakfast had a general increase in math grades and reading scores, increased attention, reduced nurse visits and improved behaviors. 

·       Children who start their day without breakfast pay less attention in the late morning, have a negative attitude toward schoolwork, and attain less in class. 

·       Participation in the School Breakfast Program was associated with greater improvements on standardized test scores and lower rates of tardiness and absenteeism. 

·       Iron deficiency anemia leads to shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty with concentration.

·       Consequently, anemic children tend to do poorly on vocabulary, reading and other tests.

·       Children who suffer from poor nutrition during the brain’s most formative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general knowledge. 

·       Even moderate under-nutrition (inadequate or sub-optimal nutrient intake) can have lasting effects and compromise cognitive development and school performance. 

·       A reduction of 240 minutes per week in class time academics to enable increased physical activity led to consistently higher mathematics scores. 

·       Physical activity is consistently related to higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and stress. 

·       Intense physical activity programs have positive effects on academic achievement including increases concentration; improved mathematics; reading and writing test scores; and reduced disruptive behavior. 

·       Aerobic conditioning may help to improve memory.

·       Exercise many strengthen particular areas of the brain and oxygen intake during exercise may enhance greater connections between neurons. 

This information and more can be found on the Action for Healthy Kids website @ www.actionforhealthykids.org

Making sure students are well-nourished and that they receive adequate opportunities to be physically active is crucial to preparing them for tests and overall academic success.