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Food!

New Rules for Preschools: How Can We Get Kids Off to a Healthier Start?

September 6, 2012
This weekend, I spent some time at the park with my two-year old daughter and two friends from my mother’s group who also have two-year olds. We're all working mothers, working both because we want to work and because we have to work – and the conversation quickly circled around to the hot topic of...
Manel Kappagoda's picture

Bag the Junk!

September 6, 2012
Many of you may have heard about some big changes coming this Fall to the school lunch and breakfast programs. As a result of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated the nutrition standards for school meals for the first time...
Lisa Sharma Creighton's picture

Lunch Boxes: Good Food On a Tight Budget!

September 6, 2012
Are you looking for ideas for healthy, affordable and brown-bag-ready lunches? As kids head back to school, the Environmental Working Group wants to help you get the year started right. Here are five lunch ideas that come in at less than $2! Our staff nutritionist put them together based on the...
Dawn Undurraga's picture

It's Bigger Than Just School Lunch

September 6, 2012
As many blog posts as I have written bemoaning school lunches and nutrition for kids, it's refreshing to share good news. Here's an updated menu with the proposed USDA changes for better nutrition for school meals . It's much improved and I was even surprised to see jicama on the ingredients list...
Beth Bader's picture

Face it: Chocolate will never lead to broccoli...

September 6, 2012
"Chocolate begets more chocolate; it never leads to carrots. Or spinach. Or tofu." - Dina Rose, PhD and parent educator I really like this quote a lot. It's an essential piece of human nature. Sitting begets more sitting. Moving begets more moving. Reading begets more reading…and so on. Why am I...
Alison Crockett's picture

The Power of New School Food Guidelines for Children

September 6, 2012
Today one of my students came back from lunch and said, "They are doing Michelle Obama's thing!" I said, what do you mean? "They are giving seconds only on vegetables and fruit, but not on the pizza!" she said, smiling. She did not seem fazed by this in the slightest bit, but I wondered if some of...
Katy Farber's picture

Skip Junk Foods in School

September 6, 2012
Are there vending machines lurking in the cafeteria or hallways of your children’s school? If so, you may want to learn as much about what is in those machines as you do about the books your child will be reading in the classroom this year. A study published in Pediatrics found children who live in...
Margie Kelly's picture

Tips for a Green and Healthy Bag Lunch

September 6, 2012
It’s been a long haul, but after 8 plus years our kids are finally on semi auto-pilot in the morning. There are still a few pieces of our morning routine where guidance is needed, but our three boys make a good effort to independently get their “jobs” done. One of those morning jobs is packing...

Leadership in Congress Means Healthier School Meals This Year

September 6, 2012
It’s back to school time once again. Many schools have started classes or will start soon. This year kids will be returning to healthier meals at school. And this is good news for students, teachers, and parents. For the first time in over 15 years, kids will be offered healthier meals in schools...
Meghan McHugh's picture

School Meal Guidelines are a Big Milestone — But Don’t Forget About Snacks!

September 6, 2012
As moms and dads across the country prepare to send their little ones back to school this fall, they can be comforted knowing that the meals their children will be served will be healthier than ever. But many parents might be shocked to learn that their kids might still be able to get their hands...
Elizabeth Brotherton's picture

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