Changes That Need To Be Made To Our School Menus

The state school board has decided that we need to look into redoing the breakfast and lunch menus we prepare for our students at our schools. We want to start adding more healthier food choices, but still include food that every student will enjoy. The state school board believes that the changes we are looking to implement will vastly improve the menu in ways that will only aid in several different issues that have been brought to our attention. Things such as the cost and the ability to cater to individuals who may have special diets. We are only looking out for the health and well-being of the current and future generations of students. This is our number one concern and certain steps are being taken to insure that the students in our schools get the best possible options. Today 15% of students ages 6-19 are overweight (sustainabletable.org, childhood obesity, n.d.). One out of three kids will get type two diabetes (foodsecurity,n.d.).

The process will start by removing most of the current kitchen equipment and replacing it with ovens, stoves, and ample counter space. Which will enable us to prepare and cook the new healthier meals for our students. The change will require more time and effort from our kitchen staff thus creating more job openings and job security. While the initial costs may at first be quite extensive, we are very confident that the overall costs will even out within a short time frame. The meals eventually will only cost slightly more than what today’s breakfast and lunches cost. With the help of government funding we are going to offset the effects of the rising costs and it will not affect taxes greatly. We can also further offset the rising costs by creating gardens on the school grounds to help provide many of the fruits and vegetables that may be needed in our new menus. This will not only help keep cost at a minimum but also assist in teaching our students valuable lessons with a hands on approach that will be a great educational experience.

We are also going to look into using produce grown locally and work with local food providers. By doing this we will increase jobs in the local economy, and support the local businesses in the areas our schools are located. By giving money back to the community we will be able to see more population growth, and a better community overall The changes we are looking to make to our menus will only improve the lives and health of our students. To make the change seem less drastic we can offer two new healthy options for every unhealthy option until we eliminate most or all of the unhealthy. Our students will not only benefit from healthier food choices but also lower fat and salt content. By teaching our students good food habits early we are setting then up for great success in the world as healthier, open minded adults.

Another way we may be able to address the issue of cost is by reducing the size of the portions of food that each student receives. This would allow us to cut the cost of our schools meals to be less of a burden financially to the families of our students. Also this would encourage our students to not over eat which would be beneficial to the entire school population. We are also looking forward to being able to meet the needs of all our special needs students that we may have in our schools. All of the healthier choices on our schools menu's will allow all of our students who may suffer with certain illnesses such as diabetes, to be able to enjoy the school's lunch menu. Our special need students will not only benefit from being able to order food on their specialized diet, but will also be able to enjoy participating in eating lunch time with the other students. Which they might not have been able to do before. Also with the new menus we are going to start doing a better job of looking out for our students who may have allergies. We are confident that by adding two or more options we can avoid any allergic reactions. Menus can be sent home mid-week so that parents and children can make choices for their meals the next week. This will also make the change less intense for student who may not be used to trying new foods.

The main goal in the changes we are making is the health of our entire student body and staff. Also to help our students and staff make healthier eating choices. The reason why we are looking into revamping our entire menu for all of our schools is because researchers have found that children who eat school lunches are more likely to be overweight or obese than children who bring packed lunches. Researchers also have found out that children who eat school lunches are nearly four times more likely to eat two or more servings of fatty meats like hot dogs and fried chicken daily. The alarming amount of overweight and obese children in every state, and with millions of families relying on school lunches we must take immediate action to improve the nutrition that our students are receiving from within our schools.

We plan on releasing the new changes made to the menus in the next school year. On the new school menus you will find more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthier based meals. These changes will also effect the foods students receive from the vending machines that are placed through out the school. We are looking forward to receiving feedback from our student bodies as well as our staff, to make sure that the changes we made our not only successful but met with satisfaction. We will begin doing periodic inspections of the student body to see if there is any extra benefits from the new menus such as grade advancement and moral. We will also start conducting a periodic weight watch program that the school nurses will conduct. The reason we will be conducting this is for those who plan to take there best eating habits further than just school. We also have to make sure that any major changes in weight due to the new menus are monitored. A doctor would then need to be notified by a legal guardian immediately if there was any change in weight, loss of energy, or any other health concerns due to the new menus.

We are here to help anyone who may need help or have questions or concerns concerning the new menus. If you would like to find out more ways on eating healthier we can provide you with resources to assist you and your families. We also will start having after school exercise programs available for the whole family and children of all ages. The classes will continue and be based on the number of individuals interested.

References:

http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/backtoschool

http://www.foodsecurity.org/farm_to_school.html