As the director of nutrition services for El Monte School District I knew that kids are more likely to try new foods if they are involved in the process and learn why it is important. When we joined the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program and decided to improve the healthfulness of the food we serve to our students, we started by getting our hands dirty.
But until several years ago, Durfee students didn’t know where food came from, aside from the supermarket or the corner store. Durfee, a rancher and farmer who grew vegetables, grain, walnuts, and fruit. It’s ironic that our school is named after James R. The majority of the more than 1,000 students that attend Durfee School-part of El Monte School District, east of Los Angeles, California-have lived their entire lives in urban neighborhoods without access to farms or fields. Robert Lewis, Director of Nutrition Services, El Monte School District His district is making great strides in improving the school nutrition environment, thanks in part to support from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.īy: Dr. Lewis describes the success that his urban school district has had with school gardening, and how gardening helps to transform the food culture among students who were previously unaware of the origins of food. Robert Lewis of the El Monte School District in Southern California. Today’s Cafeteria Stories contribution comes from Dr. I continue to meet with the wellness council in my district, where we work to positively impact the wellness policy of my school. It was an opportunity presented by an adult to engage youth in decision-making. When the food service director at my school approached me about being on a wellness council, I was ecstatic. We thank these students, parents, teachers, and school nutrition professionals for sharing their stories!īy: Patrick Binder, student, Yankton, South DakotaĪristotle once said, “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” As a young person, I recognize the issues that face my peers. The blog is part of our Cafeteria Stories series, highlighting healthy meals in schools and the impact of hard working school nutrition professionals who are dedicated to making the healthy choice the easy choice at schools across the country. The following guest blog is from a high school student from Yankton, South Dakota that was invited to discuss the implementation of USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools rule at a meeting hosted by the Pew Charitable trusts last fall. Innovations in the produce industry can help with just that! The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, in collaboration with the United Fresh Produce Association, has identified several kid-friendly, single-serve, fresh produce snacks that meet USDA’s Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards and offer easy, delicious snack options for schools or out-of-school time programs. Children should be exposed to a variety of fruits and vegetables to help ensure these products are what come to mind when reaching for a snack.
ALLIANCE FOR A HEALTHIER GENERATION HEALTHY FOOD CAMPAIGN FULL
Produce is packed full of the nutrients youth need to learn and play, whether at school, in an out-of-school time program, or at home. The Healthy Schools Program has since grown to become the nation’s most extensive effort to prevent childhood obesity in schools and is now building healthier school environments for more than 17 million students in more than 29,000 schools in every state and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.īy Jill Turley, MS, RD/LD and Joshua Moore of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation To combat this epidemic and to help make the healthy choice the easy choice, the Alliance created the Healthy Schools Program in 2006, launched in 231 schools in 13 states. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation (“The Alliance”) was founded as a response to the growing rate of childhood obesity.
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