Thousands of schools nationwide participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which provides federal assistance for meals prepared and offered in schools. Recently, the NSLP has changed their meal requirements in order to improve the nutritional quality of school
How Administrators Can Utilize a Local Wellness Policy to Its Full Potential
Local School Wellness Policies (LWPs) can be an easy and effective way to make your school a healthier environment. After the passage of the 2004 Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act, …
Wellness Beyond the Lunchroom: How to Advocate for Wellness within the Whole School Environment
Providing delicious and nutritious foods in the lunchroom is a huge step in creating a healthy environment for students. Maintaining healthy behaviors in other food settings, such as classroom snacks and even afterschool and home meals, is equally important to …
Involvement with School Meals—A Winning Choice for All!
Parents, guardians, and grandparents are crucial partners in helping children make nutritious food choices at school. Getting involved with your children’s school lunch and breakfast programs is easy and makes a big impact in children’s health and wellbeing! Try these …
Sharing the Credit: Acknowledging Food Service Staff for Implementing Positive Changes
Lunchroom workers are the face of the school meals program. Accordingly, when interventions are successful in the lunchroom, it is important to give credit where credit is due. By recognizing your team’s efforts to improve student participation, increase selection and …
Teachers to Students: Do As I Do When Making Healthy Food Choices
Nutrition education in school classrooms as part of local school wellness policies goes beyond informing and influencing students’ food choices. Teachers, also, change behaviors and role model healthy behaviors. Robin, a teacher at David Barton Elementary School, has invited University …
How to Talk to Your Kids about a Balanced Diet
Convincing your family of the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet can be difficult at times. Telling your child that he or she should eat a balanced and healthy diet because “I say so,” is unlikely to have much …
Eating Practices at Home: Parents’ Perception
Encouraging healthy eating practices at home provides a model for children that instills long term healthy eating behaviors.
In the fall of 2012, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health collaborated with National Public Radio and the Robert Wood Johnson …
How to Engage Parents in School Wellness Policies and Action Plans
Parents can be key players in school wellness efforts. From wellness committee membership to volunteering at one-time events, parents provide valuable input, assistance and support. Use this “how to” sheet to motivate and recruit parents to join your school’s wellness …
Growing Strong and Healthy: How to Create and Maintain a Healthy Food Environment at Home
With busy schedules it’s often a challenge to find time to plan meals, feed the family and still get our to-do lists completed. The simplicity of fast-food and microwavable meals has grown because they are so convenient. Children are often …