Food and Nutrition Services

Team Nutrition

WELLNESS AND NUTRITION POLICY (approved March 2009)

The Manchester School District is committed to creating a healthy school environment that enhances the development of lifelong wellness practices, promotes healthy eating and physical activities that support student achievement, and complies with federal mandates regulating school food and nutrition before, during, and after school.

Nutrition Education Goal

Nutrition education shall:

Nutrition Standards

The district shall ensure that:

found in federal regulations.

Physical Education and Physical Activity Opportunities

The district shall offer physical education opportunities that

Other School-Based Activities Designed To Promote Wellness

The district may implement other appropriate programs that help create school environments that promote wellness and are conducive to healthy eating and physical activity.

Implementation and Measurement

The building administration from each school shall implement this policy. The building administration shall evaluate the compliance of the policy annually (See Evaluation under Safety 127-R). The Consultant Dietitian and Director of School Food Services will assist. The building administration shall send an assessment form with an action plan to the Superintendent for review.  The district shall develop and implement regulations consistent with the intention to offer healthy choices to students and to comply with this policy. Input from teachers (including specialists in health and special education), school nurses, parents/guardians, students, representatives of the school food service program, school board members, school administrators, and the public shall be considered before implementing such rules.

Food and Wellness Policy Snacks

. The following is a list of healthy snacks that meet the Food and Wellness Policy guidelines.

* These foods may not be appropriate for children with peanut allergies or for peanut free classrooms.

KEEP REUSABLE CONTAINERS ON HAND FOR SCHOOL.

12 Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Non-Food Ways to Celebrate
Birthday Parties in School

• Donate a book to the school library or classroom in honor of the child’s birthday with a personalized gift acknowledgment plate inside

• Donate playground/physical activity equipment- jump ropes, balls etc

• Celebrate with active games chosen by the students

• Have a dance party

• Engage students in a special art project

• Go for a fun run with the principal or local hero (fireman, mayor, athlete)

GET MOVING MANCHESTER 2009: FAMILY MATTERS

The 7^th annual Get Moving Manchester, a school-based program focusing on healthy behaviors such as nutrition and physical activity, began on March 23, 2009 and ended on April 17, 2009. This year’s theme was Get Moving Manchester 2009: Family Matters. This initiative encouraged parents and guardians to be role models for their children by demonstrating healthy lifestyle habits. Parents and guardians were asked to keep track of their eating habits, exercise and screen time (television, movie, computer, and video time) along with their children in grades 3-5.  Please see below for elementary health teachers' comments about students who have demonstrated outstanding participation and improvement in healthy lifestyle habits. 

This year, Get Moving Manchester is also pleased to report two ongoing initiatives designed to increase health awareness within the schools and the greater community throughout the school year. One of the initiatives is a new program called the Family Book Bag program. It designed for students in grades K-3 and will give children access to books about healthy foods and parents access to quick nutrition and exercise tips and recipes. The Family Book Bag program is made possible through a grant funded by the UNH Cooperative Extension. The other initiative is the Walk New Hampshire program, supported by Governor Lynch and Dr. Susan Lynch, aimed at 6^th grade students in Manchester. Walk NH is designed to increase physical activity by encouraging either individuals or teams to walk the equivalent of the length and width of NH. Please visit the wed site www.walknh.org for the exercise log that can be used by the entire family throughout the year. 

Mayor Guinta, Dr. Tom Brennan, Superintendent of Schools, and Sylvio Dupuis, former mayor of Manchester and chair of Get Moving Manchester awarded trophies to both Highland Goffes Falls Elementary School and McLaughlin Middle School. This is the 3rd consecutive year that McLauhglin Middle School has won the Get Moving Manchester trophy. McLaughlin had the highest percentage of miles walked based on enrollment. Highland won the trophy for the highest percentage of student participating in Get Moving Manchester.  

All prizes were generously donated from local area businesses. Get Moving Manchester is grateful to the following sponsors who have donated incentives, funding, prizes, and free services. They include: Sylvio Dupuis, Mayor's Office, Catholic Medical Center, Northeast Delta Dental, Fisher Cats, Manchester Wolves, Palace Theatre, NE Dairy and Food Council, Department of Health and Human Services, and Dartmouth Hitchcock Manchester.

As parents and guardians, you play a major role in molding the overall health of your child.  If you eat smart and move more, your child will learn to do the same.  Trying new foods, eating meals, grocery shopping, and preparing or cooking meals with your child will trigger conversations about healthy eating and why it is important to make certain choices, such as selecting foods from each food group.  Display healthy snacks such as a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter rather than a bowl of candy. Try to limit fast food and restaurant meals because  people who eat out tend to have a hard time controlling their weight. When you are going to reward your child, try to think of non-food items like taking them for a walk, buying them a book or music of their choice, or even just giving them praise!  By watching the healthy choices you make, your child will, in turn, make those choices themselves.  Another great way to do this would be to get active with your child.  Start a routine of daily walks together, go for a bike ride, or even just get involved in their active play.  Any encouragement of physical activity will limit time in front of the TV or computer (screen time) and limited screen time is associated with maintaining a healthy weight.  Most importantly, when your child doesn’t make the right choices, avoid criticizing or name-calling.  Try to turn negatives into positives to help guide your children.  For example, if you child wants to eat a candy bar and soda for a snack, a negative response would be to say “you shouldn’t eat that because you are going to get fat.”  To make that a positive response you could say, “how about a piece of fresh fruit or raw veggies and a delicious flavored milk that will help make you grow and strengthen your bones?”  When you set an example of a healthy lifestyle, your child will begin to model those smart choices.

Written by Susan Sheehy, RD LD

Step Conversions

Your pedometer works whenever you are taking steps.  For those times when you choose an activity other than walking, check the chart below to determine the activity’s equivalent number of steps.  Simply multiply the number of minutes you did the activity by the number of steps indicated on the chart.  You can also estimate steps by knowing that 2,000 steps equals 1 mile.

School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)

SHAC is seeking students, parents, principals, assistant principals, school nurses, physical education teachers, health teachers, family and consumer science teachers to serve on the committee. The committee’s mission is to promote optimal physical, emotional, social, and educational development of students using a collaborative school health model which is designed to motivate and assist students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and reduce health related behaviors. SHAC has been concentrating on improving nutrition and physical activity and educating students on cancer prevention, mental health and Red Ribbon Week. Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month from 3:15-4:30 PM. Contact Sue Sheehy at SueSheehy@aol.com or Nancy Wells at nwells@manchesternh.gov if you are interested.

WHEN EATING OUT, CHOOSE HEALTHIER OPTIONS.

McDonald's:

Chicken McGrill ® sandwich without mayonnaise: 340 calories, 7 fat grams

Grilled chicken caesar salad without dressing: 100 calories, 3 fat grams

Fruit ‘n yogurt parfait ® (5.3 ounces) without granola: 130 calories, 2 fat grams; with granola: 160 calories, 2 fat grams www.mcdonalds.com

Burger King:

BK Veggie burger without mayonnaise: 330 calories, 7 fat grams

Whopper jr ® without mayonnaise: 290 calories, 12 fat grams

Tender Grill chicken salad: 210 calories, 10 fat grams www.burgerking.com

Taco Bell:

Fresco Bean burrito: 330 calories, 7 fat grams

Fresco Ranchero Chicken soft taco: 170 calories, 4 fat grams

Zesty Chicken BORDER BOWL® without Dressing : 350 calories, 6 fat grams www.tacobell.com

Wendy's:

Mandarin chicken salad: 170 calories, 2 fat grams

Plain baked potato: 270 calories, 0 fat grams

Small chili: 220 calories, 6 fat grams

Jr. Hamburger: 230 Calories, 8 fat grams

Grilled Chicken Go wrap: 260 calories, 11 fat grams www.w endy's.com

Cremeland:

Grilled cheese with tomato: 256 calories, 8 fat grams

Chicken Fajita Salad without dressing: 198 calories, 6 fat grams

Chili: 264 calories, 10 fat grams Cremeland

Convenience Store:

Nature Valley granola bars: 180 calories, 6 grams fat

Lay's original baked potato chips: 113 calories, 1.5 fat grams

Nature Valley trail mix bar (fruit ‘n nut): 140 calories, 4 fat grams

Wheat Thins: 160 calories, 6 fat grams

WHAT’S THE SPREAD ON BUTTER?

Cardiac disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. More than 7 million people have had a heart attack and more than 6 million experience have angina (chest pain). Another 11 million have some other type of cardiovascular disease including congestive heart failure, stroke, or heart defects. Every minute someone dies from a heart attack or some other coronary event. 

What do we do to decrease the incidence of heart disease in our families? Genetics is certainly one risk factor that we cannot control, but we can control diet and exercise. Exercise, although challenging to fit into our busy lifestyles, is easy to understand, yet, at times, is difficult to maintain. Diet is not as simple to understand with all the conflicting information that is in the media. Butter versus margarine is one of those controversies. Which is better, butter or margarine? Well, it depends. There are two types of fat in the diet that can increase the risk for heart disease and should be avoided as much as possible. They are saturated fat and trans fat.

Saturated fat is anything that becomes solid at room temperature. Saturated fat includes anything that comes from an animal such as meat, whole milk and whole milk dairy products (yogurt, cheese, ice cream, sour cream), butter, lard, cream, and half and half. Coconut oil is also a saturated fat. Of course, there are alternatives such as skim milk, nonfat yogurt, and fat free sour cream. Reduced fat ice cream or cheese and lean meat can be consumed in small quantities.

Trans fat is a little trickier. Years ago, when food scientists and manufacturers realized that butter is not a “healthy” fat, they attempted to take a “healthy” fat such as vegetable oil and make it a solid at room temperature. In doing this, the chemical process called hydrogenation created trans fats. After much research, the medical community realized that people who ate margarine and other trans fat were still linked to cardiac disease. In January 2006, the US government required that food manufacturers include trans fat on their labels. They also decided that foods with less than 0.5 grams or trans fat per serving were allowed to list trans fat as zero on their Nutrition Facts labels. If two tablespoons of a “trans-free” spread contains “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” oil, 1 gram of trans fat is consumed and this is not trivial. The recommendation for people with heart disease is 1 gram or less of “unhealthy” fat (saturated plus trans) per tablespoon. The acceptable range for the rest of the population is about 1.5 grams or less of “unhealthy” fat. 

Other foods that can contain trans fat are commercial baked products such as  crackers, pastries, cookies, and cakes, frozen foods such as French fries, frozen dinners, pizza, pies, and ice cream, snack foods such as chips, and other commercial foods such as instant packages of rice, “starter” meals, prepared gravies, sauces, and instant mashed potatoes.

BEST SPREADS  

TUBS and SQUEEZES (1 tablespoon)

ALSO ACCEPTABLE (1.5 grams or less of saturated plus trans)

Smart Balance Light or Light with Fax Oil

Country Crock

Fleischmann’s with olive oil, tub or squeeze or original

Parkay Original – tub or squeeze

Promise

Canola Harvest – regular or with calcium

If Butter is a must….

Land O’ Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil (has less than 2 grams of saturated plus trans fat

APPLES REALLY ARE GOOD FOR YOU!
Eating fresh apples is always good for you, but to get the full nutritional benefits associated with eating apples you should eat at least one fresh apple every day. The average U.S. consumer eats about 19 pounds of fresh apples a year — about one apple per week. 

WHOLE-BODY HEALTH BENEFITS
Lower blood cholesterol, improved bowel function, reduced risk of stroke, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma.

The disease-fighting profile of apples provides a multitude of health benefits, including a potential decreased risk of cancer and heart disease. Several recent studies suggest apples may provide a "whole-body" health benefit.

A number of components in apples, most notably fiber and phytonutrients have been found in studies to lower blood cholesterol and improve bowel function, and may be associated with a reduced risk of  heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma. Findings indicate that two apples a day or 12 ounces of 100% apple juice reduced the damaging effects of the “bad” LDL cholesterol.

CANCER PREVENTION
Over the past four years, apple consumption has been linked with reduced cancer risk in several studies. A 2001 Mayo Clinic study indicated that quercetin, a flavonoid abundant in apples, helps prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells. A Cornell University study indicated phytochemicals in the skin of an apple inhibited the reproduction of colon cancer cells by 43 percent. The National Cancer Institute has reported that foods containing flavonoids like those found in apples may reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50 percent.

FDA Makes Rule on Calcium and Vitamin D and Reduced Risk of Osteoporosis.. The Food and Drug Administration released a final ruling on a health claim that there is a relationship between calcium and vitamin D and a reduced risk of osteoporosis, in addition to calcium and a reduced risk of osteoporosis, a weakening of bones which can result in fractures. .

The claim helps communicate the benefits of calcium and vitamin D in bone health to Americans, many of whom are falling short in consuming the recommended amounts of these key nutrients and more than 10 million of whom are already living with osteoporosis. By the year 2020, half of all Americans over age 50 will have weak bones.

Together, milk, cheese and yogurt are the main sources of calcium and vitamin D in the diets of Americans. Three 8-oz. glasses of vitamin D-fortified milk provide 90% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for calcium and 75% of the DV for vitamin D. Current research indicates that most people aren't getting enough vitamin D or calcium. The claim also helps communicate the critical need for physical activity in reducing the risk of osteoporosis later in life and is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

For individuals who are lactose intolerant, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that milk alternatives within the milk food group, such as yogurt and lactose-free milk, are the most reliable and easiest way to derive the health benefits associated with milk and milk products. Studies have identified simple strategies to make dairy easier to digest -- drinking lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk, eating yogurt, consuming hard cheeses such as Cheddar or Swiss that are naturally low in lactose or drinking small amounts of milk at meals.

FUN FOOD FACTS

How old are foods?

ØCarrots have been grown for more than 6500 years.

ØGrapes have existed over 4000 years ago.

ØGreen peas date back to over 11 thousand years ago

Supplies:  1 banana, 1 apple, 1/4 cup orange juice, 4 paper plates, 1 knife for cutting, 1 spoon, and fruit for tasting.

q   Slice the banana.

q   Place half the slices on a paper plate. Top the slices with 1 teaspoon of orange juice.

q   Place the remaining banana slices on a second paper plate.

q   Repeat first 2 steps with a chopped apple.

q Compare the fruits with the orange juice to those without.  The browning is called oxidation.

Talk with students about fruits that they like to eat.  Ask them to list fruits that might turn brown and those that do not. Have kids sample fruits that have orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice to prevent browning.  Ask which they prefer.

FAMILIES THAT COOK TOGETHER, MAKE MEMORIES!                                           

There are many benefits to spending time in the kitchen with your preschooler or young child.  Your child will gain:

Knowledge about how to work safely in the kitchen

Basic cooking skills (stirring, cracking eggs, spreading, sprinkling, shaping things into balls, scooping, etc.

A sense of accomplishment from preparing food for himself/herself and others

A growing appreciation for new foods (kids like to eat what they helped to prepare

Information about a wide variety of foods (how they look, smell, taste)

Real life experiences to complement language, math and fine motor skills

Time with you, spent making memories together in the kitchen!

Courtesy of Nutrition Education for the Public

BLUEBERRIES….Want to retain your memory? . Lower your risk factors for some cancers? . How about a great natural source of antioxidants for optimum health? Make blueberries part of your diet. Research in Canada and the USA supports evidence that blueberries are powerful disease fighters. Blueberries have been ranked number one in antioxidant activity over 40 other tested fruits and vegetables. With flavors that range from mildly sweet to tart and tangy, blueberries are nutritional stars bursting with nutrition and flavor . This is the time to eat blueberries because they are at their best from May through October when they are in season.

We now know that blueberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants, substances that can slow the aging process and reduce cell damage that can lead to cancer, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Blueberries are a particularly rich source of antioxidants called anthocyanins (also contained in apples, grapes, blackberries, radishes, and red cabbage). Several studies suggest anthocyanins discourage blood clots from forming, warding off heart attacks. They also appear to improve night vision and to slow macular degeneration by strengthening tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye. Blueberries have also been associated with improving short term memory loss, promoting urinary tract health, improved metabolism of glucose (type of sugar), and reducing the risk of some types of cancers. For just 40 calories in a ½-cup serving, blueberries offer a great lineup of nutrients like potassium and iron, as well as being a an excellent source of Vitamin C. And let’s not forget that blueberries also provide dietary fiber, two grams in each ½-cup serving which equals the amount of fiber in a slice of whole wheat bread so make sure to take the whole family blueberry picking this summer.

Courtesy of Oregon Blueberry Commission , US Highbush Blueberry Council, American Cancer Institute for Research, and USDA

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

1 c flour

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c cocoa

2 tsp  almond, orange or raspberry extract

2 egg substitutes, 2 eggs, or 2 whites

1/4 tsp salt

Cooking spray

2 tsp sugar

CINNAMON BAGEL CHIPS

INGREDIENTS FOR 2 SERVINGS:

2 (2 oz) frozen unsplit plain bagels, thawed

1 TBSP reduced calorie margarine

Butter flavored vegetable cooking spray

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each bagel horizontally into 4 slices, using a serrated knife. Place margarine in a small microwave safe bowl; microwave at high 15 seconds or until margarine melts.  Lightly coat bagel slices with cooking spray, and brush with margarine.  Arrange bagel slices in a single layer on toaster oven pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon; stir well, and sprinkle over bagel slices.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until crisp.  Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.  Store bagel chips in an airtight container. Yield: 8 chips (serving size: 4 chips)

Taken from Healthy Kids Challenge

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 MICROWAVE CORN:  A GREAT SNACK

Remove the husk and silk (outer layers of fresh corn) from one ear of corn.

Wrap it in a wet paper towel.

Microwave 2-3 minutes, turning over at least one time.

Let stand 2-3 minutes.

The corn will be very hot - handle it carefully.

Makes 1 serving

Recipe courtesy of NH 5 A Day News

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD WITH BLUEBERRIES

3 cups spiral pasta                       2 cups (1 lb) cooked chicken, diced

1 cup sliced celery                       1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup pea pods, cut in half             1/2 c chopped red pepper

1/4 cup parsley                             1/4 chopped red onion

1/4 cup red wine vinegar dressing (additional 3/4 cup red wine dressing)

2-3 TBSP chopped fresh basil

Pepper to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: Cook pasta according to directions on box. About 1 minute before it is cooked, add the pea pods. Drain and rinse with cold water. To a large bowl, add pasta and pea pods along with remaining salad ingredients, except Parmesan cheese. Toss with 1/2 cup red wine vinegar dressing. Cover; refrigerate several hours or overnight to blend flavors. Before serving, toss with remaining dressing and Parmesan cheese. Yield: 12 (1 cup) servings

Courtesy of Michigan Blueberries Growers Association

RECIPES TO COOK TOGETHER

Banana Grahamana

Help your child peel a ripe banana, slice it into one inch thick pieces with a butter knife.

Crush two whole graham cracker rectangles (chocolate ones are delicious) by putting them in a small plastic bag, sealing the bag and rolling over them with a small can or rolling pin.

Add banana slices to the bag, seal and shake until the bananas are covered with crumbs. Freeze the banana slices in a pan.

Eat as a snack or dessert (remove from the freezer for a few minutes to soften slightly.)

Tortilla Rollups

Spread a small tortilla with a favorite spread (peanut butter, hummus, salsa, etc)

Sprinkle on some vegetable pieces (cucumbers slices, grated carrots, red pepper slices, shredded lettuce, tomato pieces, etc

Spoon on a filling such as grated cheese, mashed beans, tuna, cottage cheese, sliced meat or poultry, chopped hard boiled egg, etc)

Roll up the tortilla tightly. Your child can eat it this way or you can slice it into pinwheels using a sharp knife.

Courtesy of Nutrition Education for the Public

BREAKFAST ROCKETS

1 cup vanilla yogurt

2 TBSP peanut butter

4 teaspoons sugar

2 cup low fat granola

4 medium bananas

4 wooden, freezer pop sticks

Place yogurt , peanut butter and sugar in small bowl and mix together. Peel and cut bananas in half. Insert freezer pop stick into each banana half. Cut eight large squares of plastic wrap. Spread each banana half with yogurt mixture. Coat evenly with granola. Wrap each banana in plastic wrap. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to blast off.

Nutritional analysis per serving:

228 cals, 43g carb, 5g protein, 4g fat, 3g fiber, 67 mg calcium

Courtesy of New England Dairy and Food Council

Makes 6 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour                                   
 salt and pepper
4 egg whites
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
1 1/2 cups cornflakes
1 cup reduced shredded Cheddar
6 chicken breast filets; cut into strips
non stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set up three bowls with the following: 1) flour mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper; 2) an egg-wash; made by beating the eggs and milk together; 3) cornflakes mixed with cheese.
Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Dip chicken pieces in flour, then into the egg-wash, then roll in the cheesy-flakes mixture, coating the entire piece of chicken and place on the baking pan. Discard any unused cornflake mixture after coating chicken. Bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through to ensure even browning. Serve with ketchup or BBQ sauce if desired.

Nutritional Facts per serving for individual food recipe: Calories: 320, Total Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g ,Cholesterol: 90 mg, Sodium: 320 mg, Calcium: 20% Daily Value, Protein: 37g, Carbohydrates: 24 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g.

Recipe created by Chef Jon Ashton of Orlando, Florida, Courtesy of the NE Dairy and Food Council 

APPLE N  SPICE MUFFINS

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 c cornmeal

1/3 c sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ginger

1 3/4 c shredded Golden

Delicious apple

3/4 c low fat buttermilk

2 TBSP vegetable oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp  cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use cooking spray on 12 muffin cups. Combine first  8 ingredients in large bowl; make a well in center. Combine apple, buttermilk, oil, and egg in bowl. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until moist. Add to 12 muffin cups. Combine remaining ingredients; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

9 cups of cored, peeled apples

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

½ cup oatmeal

½ cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine first four ingredients.  Spread into baking dish.  Combine remaining ingredients; sprinkle evenly over apples.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  Makes 8 servings.

In large bowl, combine salad greens and apple slices. Add vinaigrette to salad; toss gently to coat. Arrange salad on large platter; sprinkle with cheese and walnuts. In small bowl, whisk together ingredients; set aside.