According to the 2013 USDA Farm to School Census, there are 2,401 school gardens across the US that grow edible produce and incorporate it in school meals. While studies have shown that incorporating school gardens into nutrition curriculum can …
Is It Really More Expensive to Eat Healthier?
Is it really more expensive to eat healthier? Often, the general public assumes it is more expensive to eat healthier foods because an accurate method to analyze the costs of foods has not been available.
Realistically, it simply isn’t easy …
Chefs Move to Schools! Can it Really Change What Students Consume?
Chefs Move to Schools (CMTS), an initiative that is part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign, is designed to increase awareness about and improve healthy eating among school students. The CMTS initiative is designed to introduce additional opportunities …
Local Food in Schools: How to Overcome the Barriers
If you’ve worked in school food service for any length of time you’ve probably been approached about incorporating locally grown foods into your menus. This movement, which continues to gain momentum, is commonly referred to as farm to school. Farm …
Encourage Kids to Fill Their Plates with a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables
Oregon student observing availability and pricing of fruits and veggies in a local grocery store |
Today, students spend more hours in school and afterschool settings than they do at home. Thus, in many cases, children are eating more meals at …
How Peer and Parental Influences Affect Meal Choices
It is well understood that WHAT we eat can impact our health. However, WHO we eat with can also have a significant influence on our choices. In children as young as age 2, peer influence can play a role in …
Hello, My name is…. Super Broccoli
Super broccoli to the line! Giving vegetables creative names can capture students’ attention, set positive taste expectations, and increase consumption. Cornell University researchers found that X-ray Carrots were more popular than carrots and school nutrition teams in southwest Ohio found …
Parent Advocates: How You Can Help to Get a Salad Bar in Your Child’s School
Did you know that a salad bar can offer all of the components of a USDA approved school lunch including, fruit, vegetable, whole grain, and meat/meat alternative? Just add low-fat milk and students have a well-balanced, healthful meal. Since 2010, …
Practice Smart Snacking in the Classroom
Much of the work of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BEN Center) focuses on designing environments where individuals are more likely to make healthy food choices. Their program, the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement, focuses on the …
A Salad Bar for Everyone: Finding Funds for a Salad Bar
Flickr: Maryland GovPics |
“It looks really beautiful! I would put our salad bar up against any salad bar in town because it looks that good!”– Kathy Burrill the food service director for Chisago Lakes Area Schools
Fresh fruits and vegetables …