Ask the Dietitian
By Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association
September 2009
Q: My daughter’s school has a wellness program. I’ve seen changes in the lunch menu to offer more nutritious foods and only healthy beverages like milk available in vending machines. How can I, as a parent, be involved in this movement to help kids in her school eat better?
A: School foods are healthier. In 2004 the U.S. Congress established a new requirement that all school districts with a federally-funded school meals program develop and implement wellness policies that address nutrition and physical activity.
Research shows that American children older than the age of five eat from 20 to greater than 50 percent of their daily food intake at school. Studies indicate that healthy kids learn better; poor eating habits threaten not only their physical health but their academic achievement as well. And while schools offer many opportunities for providing nutritious food, as a parent, why not get more involved in improving your child’s cafeteria program(s)? Start with a school dining room “checkup”. Here are some ideas:
1. Try it out. Eat lunch in the school cafeteria or volunteer to supervise there to find out what choices are offered.
- Is the room attractive to kids?
- How much time do they wait in line?
- How much time do they have to eat?
- What foods are they choosing and what is getting thrown away untouched?
- Talk to the students about what they like and don't like about eating lunch there.
Talk over what you’ve seen with the food service staff. Brainstorm ways to help change what isn’t working and offer to take these suggestions to the school administration.
2. Slow it down. Health researchers have focused on improving the quality of foods served in school cafeterias, but many schools are rushing kids through lunch too quickly. New studies suggest that wolfing down meals may be enough to nearly double a person's risk of being overweight. Join in the new movement to improve a child’s whole dining experience away from “fast” food. Talk with cafeteria and school personnel – as well as your parent organization – about turning school lunch into a real sit-down meal, rather than a minutes-long eating frenzy.
3. Ask what you can do. School can be a very efficient way to affect good health habits. Remember those classroom stop smoking campaigns where kids would come home and throw parents’ cigarettes away? Bringing parents in to encourage what could be done in the cafeteria could have far reaching, long-term effects.
4. Offer your sweat equity. Can you and/or the school’s parent group(s) make the cafeteria a more attractive place to eat? Does the space need to be cleaned, painted, or reorganized to add enjoyment to the lunchtime experience?
Recently the Harrisburg High School-William Penn Campus cafeteria underwent an Ultimate Cafeteria Restyle that transformed its 80-year-old cafeteria into a trendier and more enjoyable dining area for students. The Ultimate School Restyle was a Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association-funded program that assisted schools in “restyling” their surroundings with the goal is to encourage healthier eating choices.
5. Investigate outside sources of funds to improve the food environment. Salad bars and attractive milk coolers cost money. Many schools have gotten corporate or foundation support to help pay for new programs and equipment.
6. Be an advocate. Get the support of your principal, cafeteria workers, teachers, and community members to build a healthy eating and learning environment. For help check out Action for Healthy Kids and Alliance for a Healthier Generation.