School Lunch Nutrition Web Site
|  Video
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| Retha Colclasure |
| 2/3/2010 |
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| It`s no secret that childhood obesity is a growing problem in the U.S., and many people are trying to figure out what they can do to help stop it. Simply knowing what kids are eating at school is a big step towards keeping calories in check. The Bismarck Public School system launched a Web site with all the nutrition information on food served to elementary school children in the district every day. And there are a lot of uses for that information. These school lunches don`t come stamped with nutrition information, like food in a grocery store does. But now, that information is just a click away for parents. "This Web site will provide information similar to what they would find on a nutrition label at the grocery store. They`ll be able to use it just like they would for their families in making smart choices for them," said Bismarck Public Schools Registered Dietitian Renae Odegaard. How many calories are in that rice krispies treat? Only 90. That chef salad has 191, but also offers the most Vitamin A. "If we are having chicken patty on a bun, everything that comes with that chicken patty will be listed there, and they will be able to see what`s in there nutritionally," said Renae. Right now the Web site just tracks the nutrition content in elementary school lunches. But the school district does hope to expand that to the lunch for middle and high school students as well. The district has worked hard to improve the nutrition that kids get at lunch. Students are now served reduced fat items, whole grain breads and are offered plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. "I think a lot of parents are making smarter choices for their families, and this information will show them the good things we are doing for Bismarck Public Schools and the lunches that we serve," said Odegaard. School lunch food must meet strict USDA nutrition guidelines. "Requires no more than 30 percent of the calories come from fat, no more than 10 percent of those calories come from saturated fat," said Odegaard. By mapping out the nutrition content of every item on the menu every day, the food services department knows whether they`re meeting those guidelines. Nurses in the school system can also use the nutritional information to figure out how much insulin a diabetic student needs based on how many carbohydrates they`ve eaten. |
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