A key part of a healthy lifestyle is ensuring good nutrition through a well-balanced diet. Numerous studies have found that a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk for the three leading causes of death– heart disease, cancer and stroke— and can play an important role in weight management.
Within the school environment there are many opportunities to promote good nutrition. These include the federal school meal programs such as School Breakfast, School Lunch (includes Afterschool Snacks, Seamless Summer and Team Nutrition), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and the Special Milk Program. All of these programs provide nutritionally balanced low-cost or free food to children each school day.
The programs are administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through state agencies (usually the state education agency). Foods served in the program must be in-line with the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans; however, the decisions on what foods to serve are made at the local level by the school district.
The most recent Dietary Guidelines report was released in 2010 and encompasses two overarching concepts:
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Maintain a calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight. This concept asks Americans to be more aware of the calories they consume through food and drink and expend through physical activity. Keeping a balance of “calories in” and “calories out” will prevent weight gain.
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Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages. Studies of American diets show that most Americans consume too much sodium and too many calories from solid fats, added sugars, and refined grains. These foods often replace nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables. The 2010 USDA guidelines recommend limiting intake of sodium, solid fats, added sugars, and refined grains and increasing intake of nutrient-dense foods and beverages such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, and nuts and seeds.
To help Americans navigate the Dietary Guidelines, the USDA developed and recently updated its well-known food pyramid. Visit www.chosemyplate.gov to try the USDA’s interactive tools, create a personalized eating plan, and assess your food and physical activity choices based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.
For schools looking for a blueprint to create a healthier school environment, the USDA created the HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC). HUSSC is a voluntary initiative that establishes rigorous standards for schools’ food quality, participation in federal meal programs, physical activity opportunities, and nutrition education. Schools that choose to participate in HUSSC can receive recognition and monetary incentives for creating healthier school environments.
Other groups, such as the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Action for Healthy Kids and the National Farm to School Network, are also working to make school meals and school environments healthier.