No nation is any healthier than its children Harry Truman, 1946

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No nation is any healthier than its children
Harry Truman, 1946
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Exercise 1 Improvement Checklist
Next 5 minutes For each statement, check OK or
briefly describe the problem under needs
improvement.
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Changing the SceneImproving the School
Nutrition Environment
Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD Nutrition Education
Training
Massachusetts Department of Education
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Purpose

• To assist you in developing improving your
  schools healthy nutrition environment

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Goals

• Provide hands-on tools to evaluate your school
• Introduce theHealthy School Nutrition
  Environment
• Ideas on how where to get started

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• What is a HealthySchool NutritionEnvironment?

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• A Healthy School Nutrition Environment provides
  consistent messages
• that promote students healthy eating physical
  activity habits
• and
• offers ample opportunity to use it.

• Reinforced in the classroom, dining room, and
  other school activities
• Students can learn to make healthy lifestyle
  choices based on their school experiences

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Components of A Healthy SchoolNutrition
Environment

• Quality School Meals
• A Commitment to Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Other Healthy Food Options
• Pleasant Eating Experiences
• Nutrition Education
• Marketing

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Why are we doing this training today?
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3 Good Reasons Why...

• Good health is necessary for effective learning
  Students perform better academically when
  they eat breakfast!
• The school system is one place where most of our
  nations youth can be addressed
• Disease prevention is more cost effective than
  treatment

1. Modified from the School Health Index
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The State of the Nation Childrens Health

• ? Only 2 of youth meet the Food Guide Pyramid
  recommendations - 16 dont meet any of them1
• ? Less than 20 of young people get 5-A-Day
  (YRBS)
• ? 16 increase in soft drink consumption
  (20-30 oz daily)
• ? Obesity in children is rising at an alarming
  rate 20
• ? School Nutrition Dietary Assessment (SNDA)
  (1993)
• ? Adult diseases in childhood on the
  rise.diabetes

1 Munoz KA. Food Intakes of US Children and
Adolescents Compared With Recommendations,
Pediatr. 1997 100 323-329. !4 1999
Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
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Beverages Available in the U.S. Food
Supply(Gallons/Person/Year)
Source U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic
Research Service Statistical Bulletin No. 939,
1997
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Definitions of Success Quality School Meals

• School meal programs are available
• Healthy, appealing choices are available (fruits,
  vegetables, lowfat dairy, grains)
• Variety of fresh foods offered
• Food purchasing, preparation practices to
  moderate fat sodium intake
• Menus meet nutrition standards

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Background School Meals Initiative

• 1995, The USDA School Meals Initiative for
  Healthy Children underscores our national health
  responsibility to provide healthy school meals
  that are consistent national health
  recommendations guidelines.
• School Lunch serves 27 million children in
  96,000 U.S. schools daily

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School Meals Initiative (SMI)

• Nutrition Goals
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
• 1/4 RDA for breakfast
• 1/3 RDA for lunch
• Calorie Goals
• Age appropriate
• Vitamin Mineral Goals
• calcium, iron, vitamin A C

http//schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov/fnic/schoolmeals/
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Definitions of Success Quality School Meals

• Collaborative efforts with food service director
  and school health programs
• Communication is a 2-way street
• Hungry children their health is top priority

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Definitions of Success Other Healthy Food
Options

• All foods and beverages available at school make
  a positive contribution to healthy choices
  school meal programs
• Parents make healthy options available
• Food is not used for fund-raising or as a quick
  solution for (exclusive beverage contracts)

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Definitions of SuccessPleasant Eating
Experiences

• Meals scheduled at appropriate times
• Students have time to eat and socialize
• Adequate serving and seating areas
• Clean, safe and pleasant seating area

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Definitions of SuccessNutrition Education

• Available in pre-K through grade 12
• Focuses on skill development
• Integrated into core curriculum
• Dining room and classroom are linked
• Professional development/Continuing Education for
  staff
• Food service managers degree or certification

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Call to Action

• United States Department of Agriculture

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Grab a Pencil, Its Time to Act!

• Make a commitment now
• Identify team members
• Provide Score Cards1 to the team
• Identify Solutions
• Prioritize (importance, cost, time, commitment,
  feasibility)1

1. School Health Index Modules, Score cards,
planning questions, analysis
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Challenges Exercise
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Exercise 2 Setting Goals

• Part I (5-10 minutes)
• Assign roles school foodservice director, school
  nurse, principal, health education coordinator,
  parent, teacher)
• discuss scenarios complete Action Plan
  (Playing the Policy Game)

• Part II
• Consult your Improvement Checklist Prioritize
  (Playing Policy Game, SHI)
• Write one goal (index card) and your action.

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Challenges facing school foodservice
Good managers do things right, but to be a
truly good leader you have to do the
right things. -C. Heimbold JR, CEO Bristol-Myers
Squibb

• ? Poor eating lifestyle habits
• ? Food industry marketing
• ? Financial constraints on schools
• ? Emphasis on academic performance
  and time in learning
• ? Lack of time, money, staff and school support
  to
• implement nutrition analysis
• nutrition education
• create and successfully implement nutrition policy

1. Survey of Massachusetts School Foodservice
Directors, August 2000
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How to get started USDAs Prescription for
Change
Students, parents, educators and community
leaders will be involved in assessing the
schools eating environment, developing a shared
vision and an action plan to achieve it.
Teamwork! - school foodservice, health education
coordinator, teachers, school nurses,
administrators, parents, students
Behavior-focused nutrition education will be
integrated into curriculum. Staff will have
appropriate training.
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How to get started USDAs Prescription for
Change

• School meals will meet the USDA nutrition
  standards. Perform Nutrition Analysis of Menus
• Those who practice healthy eating will be
  encouraged to serve as role models in school
  dining areas.
• If foods are sold in addition to NSLP meals,
  they will be from the 5 food groups.

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More Ideas Act Now!

• School Breakfast for everyone EVERYDAY!
• Role Models Eat healthy school meals with
  students
• Assist and collaborate on grant seeking/writing
• Create a team to develop a school nutrition
  policy1 (vending machines, school fundraisers,
  a la carte sales items)
• Examples School Nutrition Task Force Best
  Practice survey

1. NASBE Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn.
2. CDC Guidelines for Promoting Lifelong
Healthy Eating
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Resources

• MA Department of Education, Nutrition Programs
  (nutrition position statement, grants
  information)
• www.doe.mass.edu/cnp/
• USDA Food Nutrition Service - Team Nutrition
• http//www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/index.htm
• California Project LEAN Playing the Policy
  Game
• www.dhs.ca.gov/lean

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Resources

• School Health Index Self Assessment and
  Planning Guide, US Dept Health Human
  Services, CDC
• http//www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/SHI/index.htm
• Sample Policies Policy-writing Guidelines
  -NASBE Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn
• -National School Boards Association (NSBA)
  www.nsba.org

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• Not only is the child taught what a good diet
  consists of, but his parents and family likewise
  are indirectly instructed.
• Harry Truman, 1946

TIP