Lawrence schools committed to healthier eating

The Lawrence School District decided to get ahead of the game and hire a new food service provider this year so students have healthier meal options in response to a proposed revision of nutrition requirements to the federally assisted National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, which will go into affect for the 2012-‘13 school year.

The proposed changes, recommended in January of this year, to the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs would increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat milk and reduce the level of sodium and saturated fat in school meals.

Whitsons, a culinary group based out of Islandia, provides a revamped menu of whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit to the high school, middle school, Number Two, Four and Five schools in the Lawrence School District.

At the elementary level, Whitsons stresses the importance of teaching nutrition early by offering a Nutrition Safari program that uses safari animal characters to teach children about healthy food choices in each food group and develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Each month, a special menu is offered for Monthly Nutrition Day, posters are hung in the cafeteria and once a year “spokes animal” characters speak to children on a visit during lunchtime to help them learn about nutrition.

Smart choice menu items with a heart logo and a sensible snack program that consists of fruits, baked chips and vegetables with low-fat dip are offered at the secondary level to re-enforce nutrition in students grades six to 12.

These elementary and secondary level initiatives were born out of the need to educate children on healthy eating and amidst the childhood obesity epidemic, it’s never too early to start, said Holly Von Seggern, Whitsons’ director of marketing. “It’s one thing to serve healthy food but if you expect children to try those foods, you have to show them why it’s important to not throw out the apple on their tray,” she said. “They need to understand the importance of eating healthy and the techniques we use help them understand the total picture.”

Whitsons is committed to not only serving balanced meals based on the number of servings of categories such as vegetables and whole grains according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, but they also look at partnering with the communities in which they serve, Von Seggern said.

“About 42 percent of the products we serve come from local vendors,” she said. “We also look at the ingredients and eliminate the less desirable ingredients found in processed foods. It’s important because it sets the stage for lifelong healthy eating habits, habits that will stay with them for their whole life.”

Several students, who declined to give their names, said they appreciated the healthier choices, but Assistant Superintendent for Business Elsie Friedman noted the more attractive choices and Whitsons communicative style. “The district is pleased with how hard Whitsons is working to provide a nutritious meal program,” she said. “The middle school cafeteria looks more inviting and Whitsons supervisory staff is responsive to administrations requests.”