In The News: F.A.N. Club!

There's an exciting article in The Columbus Dispatch today! It highlights F.A.N. Club, a program that I'm involved with and very passionate about. You can read the article here...

The newspaper has been highlighting a number of health initiatives that are taking place in the Columbus City Schools. Last week, they highlighted the new food service plan, which includes more fruit and vegetable options. I had the chance to see the new cafeteria decorations highlighting healthy lunch choices and brightly-colored banners of fruits and vegetables, and the staff at Lincoln Park Elementary School was busy assembling the new salad bar!

The article in today's paper focuses on vending machines and after-school programs. Columbus City Schools has taken a drastic measure in their schools by eliminating all soda, juice, and sports drinks vending. Water is the only drink option available. When it comes to food, the empty calorie options will gradually be phased out in favor of healthier choices.

The plan is drastic, because the schools stand to lose thousands of dollars when they discontinue contracts with junk food and soda manufacturers. In the past, schools sought additional revenue by signing on with big corporations, who sponsored schools in exchange for the privilege of marketing to kids and students.

By removing the vending machines, Columbus City Schools has acknowledged that they have a problem... They have a problem with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.

That's where F.A.N. Club comes in! F.A.N. Club stands for Fitness and Nutrition Club, and is a part of Nationwide Children's Hosptial pediatric obesity initiative. I have had the privilege of leading the program at Lincoln Park Elementary School for the past 8 months, and nothing could be more rewarding! We "aim to increase participation in physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in children" through educational activities and games. While the program is still young, we're hoping to expand to new schools through generous support, so that we can continue to offer the program to students and their families at no cost.

Recap: Living Well, Eating Well - Back To School!

The second Living Well Nutrition Education & Cooking Class was a great success! Thank you to those that participated!

This class was definitely more education, less cooking. Parents and their children were invited to talk, eat, sample, create, and learn! Nine eager participants helped me read labels, discussed healthy alternatives to processed foods, created balanced and nutritious lunches, and then chowed down! My friend and neighbor, Rita, came over to take a few pictures...

A few of the topics included:

• Limiting Processed Foods, Fats, and Sweets
• Eating The Rainbow
• Wholesome Lunch Choices
• Strategies For Success

We tried out a really exciting product called a Bento Box Set made by Laptop Lunches, and one winner, Arabella, has a stylish new back-to-school accessory!

I already have some other ideas specific to packing healthy lunches, and for more general nutrition topics as well. I would like to include more discussion of the food pyramid. If it is not new information, it is always good to review, and I have a lot of fun ideas for food pyramid activities for kids. If you would like to schedule a Nutrition Education course for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, a school classroom, or a sports team, I can tailor the topics to suit your needs! Please contact me.

Back To School!

It’s the end of summer, and that means it is time to go back to school…

At most schools that means eating those sometimes loved (tater tots!), sometimes hated (canned green beans, anyone?) school lunches. But the lunch lady has disappeared, and what has replaced the hot meals cooked on-site has turned into copious amounts of processed food and junk food, pre-packaged and re-heated meals, beverages and snacks packed with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, vending machines, and fast-food delivered to cafeterias. Even with the National School Lunch Program, meals offered at full-price, low cost, or free are required to include ⅓ of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals, but they lack the fresh fruits and vegetables that are so important to childhood growth and development.

As a result of the low quality, non-nutritious food offered at many schools, childhood obesity has become an American epidemic, and health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and sleep disorders are not far behind. You can find a well-written article and staggering statistics here:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/backtoschool/

Make sure that your child has the healthiest food possible by packing their lunch for school. Turns out, packing a lunch is cheaper than a full-price school lunch too – especially when you figure in the expensive a la carte options that tend to be the unhealthiest choices anyway!

Living Well, Eating Well – Back To School!

The Nutrition Education and Cooking Class this month will feature kid-tested and parent-approved ideas for creative and healthy school lunches! Breakout of the PBJ rut and lose the fruit snacks – this class will completely change the way you think about school lunches!

Monday, August 17, 2009 (one week of summer left!)
7:00pm
$15 per adult, kids are free
$5 more will help a less fortunate parent and their child attend the event
Class size limited to 12 adult participants and unlimited kids – we need a tasting panel!
RSVP (name, email, phone number) to livingwell@columbus.rr.com by Friday, August 14th

More "Back To School" features to come - I'll be helping my friend Amy with a Back To School brunch that should be off the hook!