In working on reducing food waste since new rules went into effect in 2012, School Lunch Advisory Councils (SLACs) are now asking students to help other students eat healthier. SLACS, which are composed of a food service director, an educator, and two or three students, are using behavioral economics like encouraging students to nudge or encourage other students to consume more fruits and vegetables at lunch. Montana food directors told The Washington Free Beacon that once the cafeteria put up creative signage like the student's life-sized version of their coach promoting apples and moved their salad bar, lunch waste decreased by 35 percent. “Smarter Lunchrooms uses the basic principles of behavioral economics (the influencing factors behind people’s choices and behaviors) ...
Back in 2012, a family's vision to rebuild old farm into a flourishing urban farm started to take bloom. One of the greatest goals of the new urban farm, called Martin's Garden is that no less than 30% of what they produce or do on the property will be directed towards charities and helping others. For instance, one-third of all vegetable produce being sold to local restaurants and farmer's markets will be donated to the Atlanta Community Foodbank. The farm originated with Mr. Ora Coleman, who shared his farm with the whole community for over 5o years in Roswell, Ga. (13.4% Latino). After Tony and Shari Martin bought the farm, they worked with the city to rezone the land from suburban residential back to agriculture to refurbish up their farm. Now the farm continues to ...
A new bill supporting urban agriculture in Michigan (5% Latino) will open up doors for new economic opportunities and create new ways to increase access to healthy foods. The Urban Agriculture Acto of 2016, announced by Michigan Senator Stabenow will allow more support for urban farmers with new financial tools, support for research, and allow for healthy food to be grown in community gardens and neighborhood farms. “Urban agriculture is steadily growing in cities and towns across Michigan and across our country, creating new economic opportunities and safer, healthier environments,” Senator Stabenow told the local press. “The Urban Agriculture Act will continue this momentum by helping urban farmers get started or expand their business, so they can sell more products and ...
Get ready to get excited about healthy school food by celebrating national farm-to-school month! Every October farmers, families, students, educators and food enthusiasts of all ages celebrate healthy school food and raise awareness about improving child nutrition for all kids in all schools through farm-to-school programs. Our farm-to-school Salud Heroes have helped schools incorporate healthy foods in cafeterias, increase student awareness of healthy foods, grow school gardens and more! How can you get involved? Take the pledge, read inspiring stories, explore resources, or help spread the word! Learn more here! Also, follow #farmtoschool or #f2SMonth on social media to join the ...
Owatonna Public Schools in Steele County Minnesota (7.5% Latino) are celebrating National Farm to School month this October by continuing to implement healthy changes in school lunches. Since 2014 the district has been working with local vendors as much as possible, after receiving $100,000 in grants from Blue Cross Blue Sheild of Minnesota and the US Department of Agriculture the school district has incorporated more fresh turkey meat, and fruits and vegetables from local farmers. Food hubs have also helped bring the school to work with local food vendors who deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to the hubs and then are delivered to the schools. Even options like pizza or hamburgers only available in the High Schools are made with local dough, low-fat cheese, meats without fillers, ...
Sodium is found in many processed food products, like cheese and lunch meats. It's also packed into some foods we don't expect, like frozen lunches or canned beans. Many times when packing a lunch for our kids we might not heed daily recommendations for our kid's sugar and sodium intake, but the American Heart Association has a list of dietary recommendations to follow to help keep sugars and sodium foods to a minimum. Also, Wral.com has suggested 8 simple ways to keep daily sodium intake low. Model healthy eating to your kids.
Consider the school lunches menu and see how healthy it can be!
Go online before dining out at night to research nutritious information on popular dishes that can help you stay in check of high sugar, sodium or calorie amounts.
Pack school ...
All kids deserve to grow up in a healthy environment, where access and education around healthy meals and activities bring about healthy habits for a lifetime. Hoping to ensure girls learn about aspects of wellness like friendship health and community, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is working with Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus- Pine Council (GSACPC) to encourage girls to earn a new badge focused on healthy living. The "All About Healthy Living" patch will be launched in February 2017 and is focused on wellness, including aspects like friendship, community, fitness and health. Healthy eating is also part of the partnership where BCBSAZ is requesting all young girl aspiring chefs to join the All About Healthy Living recipe contest, where they can submit an original ...
Seventy-three percent of parents report that their child's afterschool program is located in a public school building, according to the Afterschool Alliance. However, Latino kids in underserved communities have limited options for healthy afterschool programs, which is part of the reason they are more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers. Schools and communities must work together to create a support network to provide healthy food and active play for Latino and all children to succeed. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation consulted with seven experts to talk about why school-community collaborations are essential and how to craft successful partnerships. One of the takeaways is to utilize existing resources/facilities/networks. For example, one of the ...
The PEW Charitable Trusts is encouraging parents to eat with their kids during September and bring awareness to healthy eating during National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Here are some tips to help students know their parents, grandparents or family members support them in healthy eating. Make a date! Enjoy lunch with your child to see exactly what is offered in school meals and show support to school staff and students who are making healthy meal choices. This can help support mindful eating as well, giving students a warm supportive environment for healthy food choices.
School meal for dinner? Yes, that's right! Ask your school nutrition director for a recipe your child might like and make it at home for dinner. This gives children a way to get involved and parents a ...
