Nutrition News 

Hartford Public Schools
Department of Food Services and Nutrition Education

Vol. VI, Issue IV, 1998-99

What Makes a Diet "Varied?"

The best guide to a balanced diet is the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid. A diet can be balanced but not varied. In order to get both balance and variety a diet should: Variety counts the most in the fruit and vegetable categories because these foods are rich in nutrients and the nutrients vary with different produce. Choose fruits and vegetables that are nutrient dense -- dark leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, root vegetables, bananas, oranges, grapefruits, mangoes, apricots, and berries.

Record what you eat for three days. If you are eating the same fruits and vegetables, aim for variety and try for at least six different fruits in a three day period. Use the opportunity of eating out as a time to try a new or different vegetable.

Low Fat Milk Promotion

Chocolate flavored milk is a favorite with children because it tastes great and it is "kid cool." Although low fat (one percent fat) chocolate milk is the most popular lunch choice for students in the Hartford Public Schools, whole white milk was selected most of the time for breakfast. This school year, we are promoting one percent white milk at breakfast and most students have made the healthy switch.

Did you know..... According to the American Dietetic Association, if Santa drank a glass of whole milk and ate two butter cookies at every American household he would have consumed 7,246,166,400 calories and 366,379,200 grams of fat. A better choice for the big guy would be a glass of skim milk and some graham crackers.

January is Citrus Month

The Food Services and Nutrition Education Department will be promoting citrus fruits in the cafeteria during the month of January. All citrus fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C, a vitamin that the body needs every day but can not store. Citrus fruits also have other important nutrients like potassium, which helps maintain water balance, and folate (also called folic acid) which helps cells in the body to grow.

Fresh Beginnings

The Food Services and Nutrition Education Department recently received a two year grant from the Team Nutrition Program to teach kindergarten students, their parents, and Food Service staff about wise food choices for healthy lifestyles. Since eating habits are learned and are not instinctive, tasting new foods is the best way to expand a child's appreciation for a variety of foods. Our department will be targeting specific behaviors to increase the fruit and vegetable consumption of all kindergarten students.

An All American Breakfast

Have your students imagine they have friends or relatives from another country. Have the students write a letter to them about American's breakfast habits. Send the letters to Susan Davis at the Food Services Department and we will include some of them in the next newsletter.

For more information concerning the Hartford Public Schools Food Service Department, call (860) 297-8490 or visit our website at http://users.rcn.com/foodserv/home.htm

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