National School Lunch Week October 15–19, 2012

"In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more prosperous than its farmers." - President Harry Truman, on signing the 1946 National School Lunch Act. Through the Years The National School Lunch Program was created in 1946 when President Truman signed the National School Lunch Act into law. The National School Lunch Program is a federal nutrition assistance program. Through the years, the program has expanded to include the School Breakfast Program, Snack Program, Child and Adult Care Feeding Program and the Summer Food Service Program. In 1962, Congress designated the week beginning on the second Sunday in October each year as "National School Lunch Week." The video below looks at the school lunch program from the late 1930’s to the present day and includes President Obama signing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. One can see from the photographs some of the changes in the foods provided. There is an increase in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and lowfat dairy. (Part of the video has clips from a film produced by the USDA in the mid-60s.) When I think of the School Nutrition program my first thoughts turn to Dayle Hayes, MS, RD and Darlene Moppert, MS, RD. These registered dietitians and nutrition experts are advocates for our children. In addition, they take the time to teach, educate, and enlighten the school staff, parents, family, media and legislators. Recently, Dayle initiated a “Give Thanks ... for the School Nutrition Heroes who make “SCHOOL MEALS THAT ROCK.” Acknowledging the hard working people who help feed our children is a positive step in recognizing what is right about our school meals.  School Meals that Rock is a place to share and celebrate what is right with school nutrition in America. It is a counter-revolution to the media bashing of school meals and a tribute to every lunch lady (and gentleman) working to do amazing things for kids' nutrition. I encourage you to visit School Meals That Rock and see what progress is being made in our schools. Darlene Moppert, MS, RD took a giant step to offer students the ability to purchase vegan menu items in the National School Lunch Program. Each year Darlene, the Broward County Public Schools and the Broward County Dietetic Association sponsors a National Nutrition Month Poster Contest. The event helps educate children, families and the community. Recently, Darlene Moppert participated in a Broward School workshops to help teachers with disabled students. Darlene Moppert, RD, Program Manager, Nutrition Education and Training, Food and Nutrition Services, Chairperson, Nutrition Committee is involved with families and community organizations. She addresses food and nutrition issues, recommends nutrition policy and programs, and ensures school meals are culturally diverse and meet special dietary needs. Learn more at the Broward County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services. School Lunch Resources  Organizations, Associations, and Programs School Nutrition Association 2012 Theme: “School Lunch – What’s Cooking?” Recognized as the authority on school nutrition, the SNA has been advancing the availability, quality and acceptance of school nutrition programs as an integral part of education since 1946. The School Nutrition Association is a national, nonprofit professional organization.  Mission. To advance good nutrition for all children. National Farm to School Month Farm to School is broadly defined as any program that connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the goal of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health, nutrition education, and supporting local and regional farmers. Farm to School programs exist in all 50 states, but since Farm to School is a grassroots movement, programs are as diverse as the communities they serve. About the Farm to Preschool program at UEPI, Occidental College The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. Kids Eat Right your source for scientifically-based health and nutrition information you can trust to help your child grow healthy. As a parent or caretaker you need reliable resources and you can find them here, backed by the expertise of nutrition professionals. Team Nutrition. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Materials. Campaign launched by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to encourage and teach children, parents, and caregivers to eat healthy and be physically active every day. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ is about making America's children healthier. It's about practical suggestions that will help you motivate children and their caregivers to eat healthy and be active. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Campaign messages and materials are fun for children and informative for caregivers. Building Blocks for Fun and Healthy Meals; Fact Sheets For Healthier School Meals Choose MyPlate. The website features practical information and tips to help Americans build healthier diets. Let’s Move is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping children become more physically active. Elmo Doesn't Fear Obama's School Lunch Elmo joins White House Chef Sam Kass in White House kitchen to talk about the importance of healthy and delicious school meals following President Obama's signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. We Can. The We Can! GO, SLOW, and WHOA Foods fact sheet (pdf) can be posted on the refrigerator or used when grocery shopping. The We Can! Parent Tips - Snack (pdf) 100 Calories or Less tip sheet can help consumers choose vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk for healthier snacks. Healthy Children The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its member pediatricians dedicate their efforts and resources to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Healthy Children - Nutrition; Food Allergies in Children Action for Healthy Kids, we believe there are ways to reduce and prevent childhood obesity and undernourishment. Learn how Action for Healthy Kids is working with schools, families and communities to help our kids learn to be healthier and be ready to learn. National Dairy Council® (NDC) Child Nutrition Fuel Up To Play 60 sponsored by National Dairy Council and the National Football League, in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school program that encourages the availability and consumption of nutrient-rich foods, along with at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Fruits and Veggies More Matters Additional Resources The Chefs Move to Schools program, run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will help chefs partner with interested schools in their communities so together they can create healthy meals that meet the schools’ dietary guidelines and budgets, while teaching young people about nutrition and making balanced and healthy choices.  Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). Improving child nutrition is the focal point of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). The legislation authorizes funding and sets policy for USDA's core child nutrition programs. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows USDA, for the first time in over 30 years, opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children. Priceless: School Lunch "Priceless" launched the campaign depicting the cafeteria tray as the conduit for a reformed school food system that supports healthy children, local farms, and smart schools. The video was created by three IATP Food and Society Fellows, Shalini Kantayya, Nicole Betancourt, and Debra Eschmeyer to raise awareness for the Child Nutrition Act. Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture stated “National School Lunch Week reminds us how important it is that our children be healthy and active, that they not go hungry, and that they have access to nutritious meals." 

National Farm-City Week November 18-24, 2011

Farm-City Week is celebrated each year beginning on the Friday prior to and ending on Thanksgiving Day.  The purpose of Farm-City Week is to bring about a better understanding between rural and urban people by increasing their knowledge and appreciation of each other as partners in progress.

Farm-City: Harvesting Healthy Choices
Statistics indicated that about one-third of American children ages 6 to 19 are overweight, and a growing number of young people suffer from cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

The 2011 Farm-City theme of “Harvesting Healthy Choices” gives Alabama farmers an opportunity to join forces with their city neighbors to show the healthy food choices available.

Farm-City 2011 "Harvesting Healthy Choices"
This video came in 1st Place in the 2011 Cullman County Farm-City contest.
Created by: Misha Buckelew and Miguel Pascual of Cullman High School

Harvesting Healthy Choices allows the opportunity to talk about the health benefits of locally grown produce and other foods:
- the bone-building power of milk;
- the leaner choices in beef, pork and poultry;
- the importance of folic acid-rich peanuts to expectant mothers;
- the cancer fighting properties of soybeans;
- the antioxidant power of blueberries 

What’s more, modern agriculture produces healthier animals, more nutritious grains and year-round access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Healthy food doesn’t just mean tofu and bean sprouts. A 5-ounce portion of lean beef or pork can be part of a balanced diet, and milk, cheese, bread and even fried catfish still have a place on Alabama’s dinner table. 

Eating well and living well are about choices – and is important to all ages in helping us create a healthier state. For more information on a balanced diet which includes fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy products please visit the Department of Agriculture’s “My Plate” Nutritional Guide at www.choosemyplate.gov.

Resource:

Cullman FARM-CITY

September 10th, TV Dinner Day Tracing the Roots of Modern Day Obesity

Invention and view of the original TV dinner

Health Issues

TV dinners have been associated with high amounts of salt and fat, which are linked to risk factors of heart disease and obesity. Today, a number of manufacturers and retailers are making meals that are lower in salt, fat, and artificial additives.

Read the label, be an educated consumer.

Resource

FDA. How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label

Good-bye Food Pyramid, Hello Food Plate

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is retiring the Food Pyramid and replacing it with a plate icon. The new image is expected to be revealed on Thursday, June 2, 2011.

I'm not sorry to see the food pyramid being replaced. The design presented challenges in counseling and education.

The USDA said in a statement this week that the new food icon would be "part of a comprehensive nutrition education initiative providing consumers with easy-to-understand recommendations, a new website with additional information, and other tools and resources."

The plate design will be a welcomed change. One of the advantages in using a food plate is the ability to visually demonstrate portion sizes.

 

The History of Plate Sizes

Fast foods do not have a monopoly on super size. The plate industry has had its own growth spurt during the past 50 years. In the 1960's dinner plates were about 8.5 to 9-inches in diameter and held about 800 calories; by 2009 plate size had grown to 12-inches with the capacity to hold about 1900 calories. The calorie differences are illustrated in the graphic below. (Calorie amounts will vary depending on the foods you choose.)

Graphic 1

Our Eyes Can Deceive Us

Last night, I tried an experiment with my family. First each person was presented with dinner on an 8.5 inch plate. Then I removed the plates and set out the 12-inch plates. When asked which plate had more food, five out of six said the 8.5 inch plate.

The amount of food was identical, but when comparing the two sizes the participants looked to see how much food filled their plate.

                                                                                       Graphic 2

This is a further illustration of the same amount of food on different plate sizes. The larger the plate, the smaller the food appeared.

Next, I wanted to see how much food the different size plates could hold.  The calorie amounts differ from graphic 1 due to the foods I used, but there was a significant increase in calories as the size of the plate grew.

I am looking forward to the unveiling of the new icon.

Dear Congress. Please Pass the Nutrition Bill Don't Let Our Children Go Hungry

Dear Congress.

As a registered dietitian and an educator, I know hunger and inadequate nutrition impacts the ability to learn. Hungry children lack concentration, are often irritable and more likely to become ill. In contrast, students who come to class well-nourished have fewer behavioral and attendance problems, and have higher test scores.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act offers a real chance to improve nutrition for all children. By improving opportunities for healthy meals in and out of school, the bill would take an important step forward in addressing both child hunger and obesity.

The bill would help reduce hunger and increase children's access to healthy meals, including by better connecting eligible children with free school meals. It would also authorize grants to retain summer food program sponsors, improve and expand breakfast programs, and encourage states to develop comprehensive strategies to end child hunger.

Thank you for your consideration of my views on these important issues.

Sincerely,
Sandra Frank, Ed.D., RD, LDN

The Size of Your Dinerware Can Cause You to Gain Weight

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