The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is in favor of the recently-announced school lunch guidelines.
What do the lunch lady and First Lady have in common? They’re both making school lunches healthier. Find out why the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (and registered dietitians everywhere) are in favor of new changes in the school cafeteria.
What’s new?
Less than a month ago, Michelle Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced new guidelines for school lunches across the country. Changes to school lunch offerings have been a long time coming. In recent years, nutrition professionals have been making positive strides to improve lunch options, but it’s been hard to make changes stick. These new initiatives shine a light on the importance of making healthy meals that kids actually want to eat.
Kids can now look forward to properly portioned plates featuring more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Trans fats will take a hike and the high amounts of sodium packed into meals will be reduced.
A popular debate over chocolate milk has also been settled. According to the new guidelines, cafeterias will now serve low-fat plain and nonfat chocolate milk to help balance out the extra sugary calories in the chocolate version.
Since school may be the only consistent source of food for low-income families, some institutions are moving to providing 3 meals a day to students in need. In December 2010, President Obama signed a bill to help make this possible.
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- Could silly faces on a plate help feed picky eaters?
Kids may be picky eaters, but according to a new study from Cornell University, how food is presented to them makes a huge difference in the food they choose to eat.
Children crave a greater visual diversity on the plate, whether it’s varying colors or ingredients shaped into silly faces and designs.
According to the study, “On average, they [kids] preferred seven different items on their plates, and six different colors.”
Parents, however, found three items of different colors more appealing.
Could this trick allow for more nutrient-rich foods in kids’ diets?
Read the rest of the study. And get some fun plating ideas after the jump.
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In my years of practice, I found that many families don’t eat dinner together – or any meal for that matter. A recent study released by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University revealed what a big difference family meals make in your children’s lives.
About the Study
Family mealtime has drastically decreased since the 1950’s. Although you may not initially see the connection, family meals play a huge role in your kids’ lives. Yes, it’s important to eat together in order to sit down and catch up on the day, but there’s more to it. The study called The Importance of Family Dinners VI dug deep to see if there was a connection between the frequency of family meals and teen substance abuse. It also explored what teens thought about the concept of family dinners. The results will shock you.
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Grapes, carrots and cucumber slices aren’t so messy.
I have 3 kids with completely different personalities, but one thing is for sure—they’re all messy eaters. Like most moms, cleaning up after their mess becomes never-ending and frustrating. There are several things I do to make snacking less messy, especially when I’m on the go. Hopefully these tips can clean a little mess out of your life.
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I’m sure you think I cook dinner every night but, the truth is, I eat out with my boys a decent amount. Sometimes it’s because we head straight from school to soccer to chess and there’s no time to run home. Other times, when I’ve been testing recipes and cooking all day, I just want someone else to serve the food. Plus, I love games and we always play something while we wait for the meal: Scrabble, Blink, Spot It, Uno, hangman, tic-tac-toe or word search. This week, I’m traveling with my buddies and we made up a game – we created tee pees with our silverware while waiting for breakfast!
Food-wise, my kids love everything but eating out with picky eaters can be daunting. My boys didn’t start out with open minds and palates, but I used a few tricks to get them started and here they are:
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October 24, 2011 is the date of the first annual Food Day. Each year on this date Americans will celebrate and push for healthy, reasonably priced food that’s produced is an eco-friendly and sustainable way. This year you’ll find schools, communities, health professionals, chefs, and foodies celebrating Food Day in their own way.
What’s Food Day?
Food Day is sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is a nonprofit group that has been working to improve nutrition, health and food labeling since 1971. The Co-Chairs for Food Day are Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). On the National Advisory Board are a collection of impressive public figures including Dr. Marion Nestle, Walter Willett, Alice Waters, Morgan Spurlock, David Katz, Michael Pollan, Ellie Krieger, and many more.
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- This snack tastes like cheesecake, but it's healthier, and ready in seconds.
I love having tons of kids in my house, so when my boys ask for after-school play dates, I always say “YES! And as soon as we get home, I serve a snack — something that satisfies their hunger without ruining dinner. On school days, my kids eat lunch at 11:00 a.m. so by the time they get home at 3:30, they’re famished. But, we also eat dinner early (5:30 or 6:00) so I don’t want to stuff them with heavy fare. I consider snacks mini opportunities to eat healthy foods, things you can’t squeeze into regular meals. When you think of snacks as mini meals, you’re likely to keep them balanced (with low-fat protein, fruits, veggies and complex carbohydrates). Would you serve potato chips for dinner? Cookies? Of course not. So don’t serve them as snacks. My kids adore the goodies below and I bet yours will too. Each has the ideal blend of protein, carbs and healthy fats, plus important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that come along for the ride. Please let me know how your kids like them and share some of your favorites!
Instant Strawberry Cheesecake: Whisk together 2 tablespoons softened light cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese and 1 teaspoon seedless strawberry or raspberry preserves. Spread the mixture on graham crackers and top with fresh strawberry slices or fresh raspberries.
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- Dr. Regina Benjamin, US Surgeon General
The US Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin was in New York City last week for the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases, and for the Food Insight Global Diet and Physical Activity Communications Summit. In layman’s terms, Dr. Benjamin was in New York to meet with some important global leaders to discuss the prevention of non-communicative diseases (also called NCD’s) : cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases and diabetes. These diseases are responsible for three in five deaths worldwide, but medical research has proven that they can be prevented through proper diet and exercise.
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- How does your local school's lunch program rate?
With Michelle Obama’s push to promote healthy eating, some schools are taking action. We looked at public schools around the country to check out what they’re doing to make lunches healthier. We found some forward thinkers and amazing programs.
Washington State
The Bellevue School District in Washington State has implemented several healthy eating programs. The first is their Fruit, Vegetable and Grain of the Month Program. For the past 4 to 5 years, one food is featured from each category and information can be found on the district website. There are also educational signs posted in the lunch room and tasting that’s done in the elementary, middle and high schools. Some featured grains have been farro, brown rice, wheat pasta, wheat berries, couscous, and bulgur. Hot, grain-based sides will also be offered this year such as lentil-barley pilaf and wheat berry stuffing.
This year, the Bellevue School District is also implementing Meatless Mondays. Some featured items on the menu are cheese-stuffed pasta shells, cheese enchiladas and a hummus platter.
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The hustle and bustle of getting the kiddies back to school can make your head spin. We’re not just talking about the youngsters either. People of all ages are getting ready to start their studies – and let’s not forget about mom and her hectic schedule too! We asked nutrition experts from around the country to share their top back-to-school tips to help ease the stress of this busy time of year.
Start Off Right
Our experts agree, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Healthy Eats contributor Katie Cavuto Boyle says “it’s tough to learn when you’re hungry so remember to eat breakfast; it fuels your mind and body so your school day is productive and enjoyable.” But if you’re like most families, mornings are hectic. Registered dietitian Sherri Hoyt suggests some advance planning. Kids (and parents!) may be tempted to skip breakfast or grab a sugar-laden pastry or fatty breakfast sandwich on the run. Instead, “take time to make time”. . . in other words, plan for tomorrow’s breakfast the night before.
In need of a few quick breakfast ideas? Check out our Top-5 Quick Breakfast Ideas.
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