N.B. school menus will be healthier next year
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - You are what you eat.

That's why the Board of Education has adopted a new school nutrition policy to help ward off child and adolescent obesity, in accordance with a state mandate to alter the nutritional offers of school menus.

Because poor diet and lack of physical activity can have a negative impact on health and students' ability to concentrate and their motivation to learn, the school board decided a change was needed - at least at the school level.

"Today there are many children not eating nutritional meals," acting Superintendent of Schools Geri Margin said. "Part of education is training children and educating them about proper nutrition to make them happy adults in the future."

The board has decided to include healthy and nutritious food selections including fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk, along with nutrition education and daily physical activity. All meals will meet the federal nutrient standards as required by the United States Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Program regulations.

Therefore, foods of minimal nutritional value, items with sugar listed as the first ingredient and all forms of candy will be eliminated anywhere on school property before the end of the school day. Any products containing trans fats will be reduced.

"Chartwells [School Dining Services, the food providers for the district] modified its offers over the last few years. Last year, we decided no french fries, and there was no drop in revenue. Children chose to eat the better options instead," Margin said.

The cooperative effort of improving the health of the students includes the participation of all food service personnel, teachers, nurses, coaches and other administrative staff to implement the policy and encourage health-conscious practices. However, parents must also be wary of what their children consume outside of school.

"Certainly they play a major role in training our children to eat properly; unfortunately, with the rushed lives we all have, they may not be educated either. But anything the district can do to help will be beneficial to the child," Margin said.

The new menu will be implemented at all schools in the district in September.