Healthy Eating at School and at Home

Eating Well - How to Get Started

Eating well is important to the health of children and parents; here are some ways to begin: label reading, portion size and raw foods.

∙ Label reading: reduce your intake of high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, and food coloring. The shorter the ingredient list, the better it is for you and your children.

∙ Portion size: don’t super-size it.

∙ Raw foods: increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Need some reasons why eating well is so important?

In Appleton, Wisconsin, the Appleton Central Alternative Charter High School was established to provide individualized instruction to students who were considered “at-risk” or who had behavioral problems. When the school first opened, students either received a sack lunch from a national food service provider (of white bread with ham or turkey, milk, raw vegetables and sometimes chips) or they ate food out of the vending machines on campus. After the students consumed snacks from the vending machines, their concentration was lessened and they were more prone to class disruption.

To address issues including class disruption, truancy and the school’s drop-out rate, the school instituted a physical fitness program by arranging for passes to the local YMCA and purchasing free weights for the school. A year later it teamed up with a local bakery to provide nutritious breakfasts and removed the vending machines from the campus. A year after that, the bakery sponsored the installation of a kitchen on campus and with the school, began offering nutritious breakfasts and lunches which were low in highly-processed foods, sugar and fat and were fresh, full of whole grain and were cooked on campus.

The school’s truancy rate dropped, the class disruptions were less frequent, and the school’s drop-out rate was greatly reduced. For more information, http://www.michaelfieldsaginst.org/work/urbanag/case_study.pdf

Need More Research: Go to the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity's website. yaleruddcenter.org

School Lunch Information Websites:

Appleton, Wisconsin School Lunch Program: http://www.michaelfieldsaginst.org/work/urbanag/case_study.pdf

Appleton, Wisconsin School Lunch Program: http://www.feingold.org/PF/wisconsin1.html

Baltimore School Lunch Program: http://www.beefbaltimore.org/schoolmeals.html

Baltimore School Lunch Program: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/05/AR2009050500876.html

Baltimore School Lunch Program: http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2008/08/baltimore-school-chef?currentPage=1

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/school-food

USDA Report – State By State analysis of competitive food on campus: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/_private/CompetitiveFoods/state_policies_2002.htm

USDA Step-By-Step Guide – How to bring local schools and small farms together: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/Downloadable/small.pdf

Florida Department of Education, Food & Nutrition Management: http://www.fldoe.org/FNM/staff/default.asp

Leon County School Nutritional Service: http://sharepoint.leon.k12.fl.us/food/default.aspx

History of School Lunches in Leon County: The first school lunch program began at Sealey Elementary School in 1932, on a concession basis. Federal aid for school lunch began in the 1940's. School lunch supervisors were employed in 1952, for black schools and in 1953, for white schools. This year we serve approximately 13,500 lunches and 3,500 breakfasts (1,500 a la carte). Breakfast is served in all schools. By 1990 there were 16 schools on the satellite program and 15 on the self-contained program. (http://www.leon.k12.fl.us/public/history/history.html)

History of the School Lunch Program in the United States: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/AboutLunch/ProgramHistory_2.htm

Need help finding fresh fruit and vegetables in our area? Check out the following websites for information.

Green Food Tallahassee: http://greenfoodtallahassee.blogspot.com/

Damayan Garden Project (a non-profit building community gardens in our area): http://damayan.org/

Man in Overalls (can build a vegetable garden for you, your school or your community): http://maninoveralls.blogspot.com/

Local Grower’s Markets:

During the work week you can pick up locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables at one of the following grower’s markets.

Sunshine Grower’s Market – Between 4025 and 4055 Esplanade Way, Southwood; Mondays (except holidays); 11am - 2pm

Green Grocers’ Market – 2600 Blairstone Road; Department of Environmental Protection; Mondays; 3:00pm – 5:15pm

Local Harvest – Lake Ella: http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M16808 29 Lake Ella Drive; Wednesdays; Year-Round rain or shine; 3:00pm until dusk

DOE Grower’s Market – 325 W. Gaines Street, Department of Education Building; Thursdays; 3:00pm – 5:30pm

Lafayette Street Market - Across from The Moon; Thursdays; 3:00pm - 7:00pm

Railroad Square Art Park - 617 Industrial Drive; Friday; Year-Round; 3:00pm - dusk

Community Supported Agriculture: The Orchard Pond Organics farm will sell you a share of their harvest and arrange for a place for you to pick it up. http://orchardpondorganics.com/ or 591-5766

Farmers and Growers Markets:

Parkway Farmers' Market at the Y - 2001 Apalachee Parkway; Wednesdays 11:00am - 2:00pm

Tallahassee Farmer’s Market *– 1415 Timberlane Road @ Market Square; Year –Round, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 8:00am – 5:30pm

Downtown Farmer’s and Produce Market* – Monroe Street @ Park Avenue, Ponce De Leon Park; March – November, Saturday 8:00am – 2:00pm

Apalachicola Farmer’s Market – 56 Market Street at the corner of Market Street and Avenue D in the parking lot, downtown Friday 3:00pm – 6:00pm

Growers’ Market of Monticello – 220 West Washington Street, Downtown Monticello at Tupelo’s Bakery& Café; Wednesday and Saturday, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Rain or Shine, Year-round, except August

Wakulla Farmers' Market - Tuesdays, from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM rain or shine 1554 Crawfordville Highway, Crawfordville at Purple Martin Nurseries

* Each * market accepts both WIC/FMNP and Elder/FMNP coupons. The Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides coupons that must be used to buy only locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The Elder program serves low income seniors age 60 and over. For more information contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Food Coops: Bread and Roses Food Coop: http://www.breadandrosesfoodcoop.com/