Parents - Keep Your Children SAFE in School With Dairy Council of California's Back-to-School Checklist for Healthy School Environments
A healthy lifestyle includes eating from all five of the food groups according to USDA's MyPyramid food guidance system and making physical activity part of daily life.
17/08/07 Each year, children spend over 1,000 hours and eat 180 meals at school, making it an important part of their development. In the school setting, a healthy, SAFE environment includes parent Support, physical Activity, nourishing Food and nutrition Education (SAFE). Just in time for back-to-school, Dairy Council of California's SAFE checklist helps parents evaluate and promote a healthy school environment for their children.
"When healthy foods and physical activity are available and encouraged in multiple settings, children receive a consistent message and are more likely to develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime," said Andrea Garen, M.A., R.D., with Dairy Council of California. "The SAFE checklist is a tool that can help parents start a positive dialogue with school professionals that supports students in making healthy food choices in and out of school."
A healthy lifestyle includes eating from all five of the food groups according to USDA's MyPyramid food guidance system and making physical activity part of daily life. Nutrient-rich food choices like low-fat or fat-free milk, whole grains, colorful fruits and vegetables and lean meats provide essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein and vitamins A, B-12, C and D that are needed for healthy growth and development. Regular physical activity helps children build strong bones and maintain a healthy weight. Excluding entire food groups or avoiding regular exercise can have serious consequences, such as increasing the risk of bone fractures, obesity and other chronic diseases.
"Creating a healthy school environment is a team effort that involves the teachers, administrators, students, school food-service personnel and parents," said Garen. "Back-to-school is a great time for parents to become involved, as many districts have already started to implement school wellness policies with goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other student wellness activities."
