On the Right Path: Corona-Norco Makes Strides Toward Healthier School Lunches

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 represents a major step forward in our nation’s effort to provide all children with healthy food in schools. Increasingly schools are playing a central role in children’s health. Over 31 million children receive meals through the school lunch program and many children receive most, if not all, of their meals at school.

 

This month, guest blogger Betsy Adams, CNUSD Child Nutrition Coordinator shares the ongoing efforts of Corona-Norco Unified School District to provide healthier, more nutritious, and enjoyable school meals:

September, 2011. School meals provide students well-balanced, healthy meals that are required to meet science-based, federal nutrition standards.

We must not only provide our students with healthy food but with food they will enjoy.

With passage of the 2010 Healthy‐Hunger Free Kids Act, major changes have transformed school lunch guidelines to help combat the growing problem of childhood obesity. 

The new recipe for success to building a healthier plate:

• Eat the right amount of calories
• Vary your veggies
• Focus on fruit
• Make half of your grains whole
• Consume calcium rich foods
• Go lean with your protein
• Drink water

At the school lunch table this year, more variety of fruits and vegetables are being offered along with whole grains, low‐fat dairy products and meals with less fat, sugar and sodium.
 

Corona‐Norco’s cafeteria is serving fresh broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cucumber, spinach, cabbage and seasonal fruits. Baked Sweet potato Fries are being served and your student’s hamburger and chicken sandwich are on a whole wheat bun.

School lunches continue to provide 1/3 of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium and calories. These dietary guidelines are the best science‐based advice on how to eat for health. 

•  Menus have no more than 30 percent calories from fat and less that 10 percent from saturated fat.  

• Portion control is the standard followed, super-sizing is not an option.

School lunch customers are being served nutritious foods they like to eat which will help them grow, learn and succeed. 

We invite you to choose to eat a healthy plate with Child Nutrition Services in CNUSD. 

CNUSD Menu.  Through December 2011.