For my photographer friends, I apologize that the photos are really not photo quality.  I took them all on my cell phone…gag.   Nonetheless, I still find it visually interesting.

Enjoy the photos!

For EACH lunch, the children must have one food from each category: the Milk, Meat, Veggie/Fruit and Grains/Breads.

Food Item                                                          1-2 yrs                       3-5 yrs.
Milk ½ cup                          ¾ cup

Meat/Meat Alternate
Lean meat, poultry, Boneless fish          1 oz                             1 ½ oz
OR, alternate protein product                  1 oz                             1 ½ oz
OR, cheese                                                         1 oz                             1 ½ oz
Or, egg (large)                                                  ½ egg                         ¾ egg
Or, Cooked dried beans/peas                    ¼ cup                         3/8 cup
Or, Peanut butter (or similar)                    2 tbsp                         3 tbsp
Or, Nuts and/or seeds                                   ½ oz                            ¾ oz
Or, Yogurt, plain or sweetened                 4 oz                             6 oz

Vegetable or fruit or 100% juice ¼ cup                          ½ cup

Grains/Breads (enriched or whole grain)
Bread                                                                    ½ slice                        ½ slice
Or, Cornbread, biscuit, roll                        ½ serving                   ½ serving
Or, Cold dry cereal                                         ¼ cup                          1/3 cup
Or, Hot cooked cereal                                   ¼ cup                          ¼ cup
Or, cooked pasta, noodles, or grains      ¼ cup                          ¼ cup

Even though we have already been serving milk each day during snack time, we will be serving milk at lunch to help with these requirements.  Therefore, please be mindful of the remaining requirements that will need to be included in their lunch brought from home.

I go into the classrooms almost everyday at lunch.  I must tell you that I am impressed with the food our students are eating.  I have never seen a school with so many children eating healthy food everyday. So…good job parents!!!  Keep up the good work.

That being said, it’s difficult to see the multitude of unhealthy food options available – and marketed to – the parents of young children. When you factor in the realities of modern society – busy schedules that leave little time for exercise and a plethora of convenient, yet unhealthy, food options – it’s no wonder that obesity rates are on the rise in the U.S. This is one of the pressing reasons that we felt The Grove School was necessary (and why I am personally involved). We wanted a place where we could model, teach and foster healthy behavior for future generations.

A recent study by the United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention entitled, “The Future Costs of Obesity,” outlines the potential costs to America in the coming years of this trend. The authors find that, beyond the obvious social and public health problems, rising obesity rates will have a real economic impact, primarily in health care costs, over the next ten years. Other major findings by the study include:

· Obesity is growing faster than any previous public health issue our nation has faced. If current trends continue, 103 million American adults will be considered obese by 2018.
· The U.S. is expected to spend $344 billion on health care costs attributable to obesity in 2018 if rates continue to increase at their current levels. Obesity-related direct expenditures are expected to account for more than 21 percent of the nation’s direct health care spending in 201.
· If obesity levels were held at their current rates, the U.S. could save an estimated $820 per adult in health care costs by 2018 – a savings of almost $200 billion dollars.

Clearly, we aren’t going to fight this problem alone. However, our first two schools are an important step toward elevating the importance of health in those two communities. Furthermore, as we look to expand nationally, we hope that The Grove School will play an important role in not only curbing the rise of obesity, but in setting an example for other schools and pushing the education field toward the future as well.

In order to address this and other pressing social issues, we must start by educating our children.

When teaching nutrition concepts to young children, we take into consideration that children come from a variety of backgrounds in terms of the foods they are exposed to and the foods they eat on a regular basis. Teachers try to keep any personal biases or feelings about certain foods out of the lessons. Food choices and preferences vary greatly from family to family. We accept and respect these variations.

We also support the understanding that all foods can provide beneficial nutrients to the body. Therefore, no food should ever be labeled as either “good” or “bad.” In Healthy Me, foods that provide the most benefits to the body are referred to as “anytime” foods. Children and families learn that anytime foods are foods that support growth and provide the body with energy and nutrients that maintain health. Children learn to enjoy a variety of “anytime” foods each day.

On the other hand, “sometimes” foods are foods that may provide energy, but do not provide essential vitamins and minerals the body needs to grow. Children and families learn that “sometimes” foods can occasionally be included in their meals and snacks.