Summit

Come one, come all to the Harrisonburg Health and Wellness Summit being held tomorrow, Saturday, August 29 from 9:30 - 4:00 at First Presbyterian Church near Court Square.

The day begins with an opening general session, followed by three breakout sessions at locations throughout the city. I'll be there convening a session about our school nutrition program.

For more information, check out www.harrisonburgsummits.com

"One down, 179 to go!"

This is a direct quote from one of our cafeteria managers after an amazingly smooth first day back. There's always some confusion and chaos as students and staff come back through the lunch lines, but overall I'm going to make the statement that it was the least complicated first day of school in quite awhile. Hopefully I'm not cursing upcoming days! :)

I started my day at a middle school cashiering breakfast. Breakfast participation is always a little lower than usual on the first few days of school as students adapt to new schedules, find their homerooms, and reconnect with friends.

As I looked at the lovely assortment of both hot and cold breakfast items that the manager at this school had made available, I thought it important to emphasize the importance of students (not to mention staff) eating breakfast each morning. Did you know that kids who eat breakfast are better able to focus during class and generally have better test performance than those who eat nothing? Adults who eat breakfast are generally thinner than their non-breakfast eating counterparts!

School breakfast is available to all students and staff members every morning in every school. At $0.75 for full paid status students, $0.30 for those students who qualify for reduced price meals, and $1.50 for adults, it's the best morning deal in town. Each morning we have available a minimum of one hot and cold breakfast entree (more at the middle and high schools), fresh fruit or juice, and low fat milk. Adults - sorry, but you'll need to look elsewhere for your java fix!

While we would prefer that students dine with us in the morning, we understand that many students start the day with a healthy breakfast at home. If your house is anything like mine in the morning, you don't have a lot of time for fixing breakfast. Following are a few ideas for getting good nutrition into your child in record time:

• Make ahead and freeze items like whole grain pancakes, waffles, and muffins. Simply pop them into the microwave for a few seconds. Store bought pancakes and waffles are fine, just look for "whole grain" on the ingredient label.

• Keep a bowl of hard boiled eggs in your fridge for an easy source of protein.

• Keep easy to eat fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter for a healthy grab and go addition to breakfast.

• Pre-wash and bag other fruits such as berries or grapes for eating on the way to school if this is an option.

• Cold cereal (look for whole grain, low sugar brands) with fruit and low fat milk is a quick and easy staple (and what my children eat almost every morning!).

• Wraps - they aren't just for lunch anymore. Top a whole grain tortilla with turkey and cheese or PB&J for a great source of protein and whole grain.

• If time permits, make a quick fruit smoothie. Here's a recipe from http://www.kidzworld.com/

Berry Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana, peeled and cut up
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

Preparation:

• Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Welcome!

Welcome to a new school year and to the HCPS fresh bytes blog! As a new "blogger", I have debated about what to include in this first post. I have so much I want to share with you about our School Nutrition Program. Ah, where to begin?

Let's start with the basics. HCPS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, and new this year, we will be participating in the After School Snack Program at Harrisonburg High School. So what does this mean? Schools who participate in these USDA programs must offer meals and snacks that meet specific nutritional standards. For example, school lunches must contain at least 1/3 of the RDA for eight essential nutrients and must contain no more than 30% of calories from fat and no more than 10% from saturated fat. Schools also offer free and reduced price meals to students who qualify. In exchange, participating schools receive federal reimbursement for meals and snacks served to students.

Time to dispense with the boring details. Let me tell you about some exciting things that we have cooked up this school year. Each year, we have tried to make one or more changes to the foods we offer to go above and beyond what is expected by USDA. A few examples are eliminating fried foods at our elementary and middle schools, increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables available to students, and offering more whole grain products. Last year, we started an entree salad option at our elementary schools and it was a HUGE hit with students!

This year, our goal is to expand upon our Farm to School program. Over the past two years, we have slowly been making connections with area farmers to bring their local product to our lunch rooms.

I am happy to report that last school year, over 8% of our produce was purchased direct from local growers! Some of the locally grown items on the menu for this fall include lettuce, apples, cucumbers, melons, potatoes, carrots, and ground beef. Check back for updates on the F2S program!

On the technology front, our cafeteria computer system has undergone an upgrade. We now have a "server based" system where students and teachers may use their lunch accounts at any of our schools. No need to worry - student account numbers are the same as last year!

I think that's enough for now. Check back often for information about upcoming events, tips, recipes, and resources concerning all things food and nutrition.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2009-2010 school year!