Lunches lighter and leaner
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Students today are encouraged to give fresh fruits and vegetables a try during lunchtime.
The basics of reading, writing and arithmetic may be similar to past lessons, but the food being served in today's cafeterias is drastically different from the white, puffy rolls, fried fish sticks and other unhealthy fare served up in a bygone era.
That's because school dietary directors like Sharon Thompson of Madison County Schools are more educated about the importance of serving healthy foods to kids. More importantly, Thompson and her peers are taking extra steps to make sure cafeteria lunches are lighter and leaner for this school year.
Across the nation and here in Madison County, school districts are implementing health and wellness policies in school cafeterias, some of which are federal mandated, and others that evolved from the districts' desire to stem the growing rate of childhood obesity, says Sharon Thompson, Food Services Director for Madison County Schools.
"We are very concerned about helping students and employees eat healthier," Thompson said. "Every year, we slowly transition from some of the high-fat and calorie-laden food choices of the past to a healthier way of eating."
Thompson said the district has been making gradual changes to their school lunch menus in recent years to make them healthier and leaner. This method has proven more effective than abruptly cutting out many of students' favorite foods.
Cafeterias are instead offering more fresh fruit and vegetable choices, whole-grain products and a "salad of the day," Thompson said.
"The idea is to encourage students to make good, healthy food choices gradually and in a way that is appealing to them," Thompson said. "They may still choose pizza over vegetables, but if we make the pizza with a whole grain crust, it then becomes a much healthier food. We want students to choose healthier options so that it becomes something they feel good about, not something that is forced upon them."
Thompson believes the key to the district's success in getting students to eat healthier is offering favorites like pizza and fries but preparing them in a healthier way that even the students don't notice.
"We now use whole grain products and low-fat cheeses and pepperoni when preparing our pizzas and students haven't complained," said Thompson. "We also bake instead of fry potatoes and other meat dishes in a combination oven/convection oven that is close to the taste and texture of frying. And, more fresh fruits and vegetables have replaced high-fat desserts and snacks."
Thompson said many young people today actually prefer healthy foods and beverages to the not-so-healthy offerings of the past.
"Parents are now preparing healthier foods at home, so children have been taught from an early age to make proper food choices," she said. "Also, better education in schools and increased public awareness about good nutrition helps students eat better."
Thompson said she often observes students choosing and in fact, asking for apples, oranges and bananas in the cafeteria. Low-fat milk, Gatorade and plain water are the beverages of choices for health-conscious students today, she said.
She feels that most students are aware of the need to eat healthier and will do so if the options are available.
Jana Hoops of Madison, whose daughter Suzy is a sixth grader at Madison Middle School, is a health-conscious mom who usually prepares a lunch for her daughter to take to school. However, she keeps the cafeteria open as a viable option due to its healthier offerings.
"We are so busy that our lunch plans change from day to day, depending on what we have at home and what mood my daughter is in," said Hoops, a first-year teacher at Madison Crossing Middle School. "Convenience is a priority, but I try to have a protein and a snack item in her lunch box - something I know she'll actually eat."
Hoops said that while she prepares the majority of their lunches, she is pleased with the healthier menus offered at both schools. The fresh salads made with chicken and other meat along with a variety of fresh vegetables are something she plans to try in the near future, Hoops said.
Registered dietitian Olivia McCay agrees with Thompson's concept of introducing children to new and healthier foods as well as Hoops' concept of packing only those items she knows her daughter will eat.
McCay, who works with patients at St. Dominic Hospital, said helping kids develop a healthy relationship with food can be done if parents make an effort to educate children about the benefits of eating right at home and at school.
McCay said parents can take comfort in the fact many school cafeterias today, including those in Madison County, offer healthier or "light side" options for students.
"I tell patients to 'use your plate as a guide,' and that's a simple lesson that children can use in the cafeteria," McCay said. "Encourage children and teens to place fruit and vegetables on one-half of their plate, proteins such as meat or beans on one-fourth, and whole grains over the remaining one-fourth. Then, select low-fat or fat-free milk, water, or healthy serving sizes of unsweetened beverages and they will have a meal of which any parent would approve."
For moms like Hoops who prefer that their children eat a homemade lunch, McCay suggests talking with your child to insure their favorites will be taken into consideration.
"Make a list of choices of foods that your child likes as well as the items you will be able and willing to prepare," McCay said. "Let your child choose from the options and then you, the parent, gets the final say. Once this is done, it's easy to plan a weekly menu from this list."
Other tips that McCay that may help the process run more smoothly include:
• Pack lunches the night before.
• Pack leftovers when cleaning up from dinner.
• Make several containers or bags of different items. "Portion out vegetables or crackers to make it easy to grab the correct portion quickly," McCay said.
• Prepare ingredients in bulk for a few days of the week.
• Freeze drinks before sending to keep them cold.
McCay offers the following healthy recipes for back-to-school lunches and snacks that are kids-favorites and parent-approved:
Wrap Ups
4-5" tortilla
1 teaspoon low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped or grated vegetables (tomato, red pepper, cucumber, carrot, onion, zucchini) or cooked dried beans
2 tablespoons grated cheese
Mix mayonnaise & sour cream. Spread on the tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup vegetables and grated cheese. Fold the tortilla in half or roll it up.
Snappy Vegetable with Basil Dip
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons skim milk
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
Mix above ingredients. Serve with vegetables of choice such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini or asparagus.
Pasta & Trees
1 cup pasta shapes (uncooked)
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic minced or 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups cooked broccoli pieces
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
Cook pasta as directed. Heat oil & sauté garlic until light brown. Remove from pan. Add broccoli from remaining oil in skillet & stir 5-10 minutes until thoroughly heated. Mix pasta with broccoli and sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
Peanut Butter Balls
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup honey
Graham cracker crumbs
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the graham cracker crumbs. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in the crumbs and refrigerate. Makes 24.
Recipes from www.usda.gov.
