Committee promotes nutrition
Parents put focus on healthy lifestyle
October 26, 2015
When nutrition department secretary Abby Rowan heard about scratch cooking, she wasn’t sure it was something that would fit at Park. However, after watching nearby districts make the switch, she believes it could prove beneficial.
“In terms of supporting scratch cooking, that’s something that we would love to provide for everybody,” Rowan said. “There are a lot of unknowns, but fortunately for us there have been districts nearby switching over. It’s something as a department we support.”
According to School Nutrition Advisory Committee (SNAC) member Mark Eilers, scratch cooking is something the committee wants to implement at Park. The job of the committee involves helping the lunch staff find new ways to improve lunch and breakfast options so students can eat a more nutritious meal and prevent diabetes and hyperactivity.
“There are four to five parents, some involved in the medical field, others who just have a concerned interest on nutrition, who work with the lunch district nutritional folks,” Eilers said. “We advise them on suggestions and we work with them to solve problems.”
According to Eilers, last year SNAC implemented the Federal Department of Agriculture’s standards to reduce sugar and salt in snack foods.
“We worked to clean up all the vending machines and make sure they were all compliant with the federal standards, and we got the salad option as part of the school lunch program,” Eilers said.
Sophomore Shoshana Altman said the committee of parents adds a different perspective to Park’s nutrition program.
“Parents want their kids to have a healthy lunch,” Altman said. “Their involvement gives an extra point of view.”
As of right now, the committee has not met to discuss the 2015-2016 school year. However, Eilers said the committee has goals from last year that it hopes to achieve.
“Right now, we are working with the district to determine if there is any support and required funds to evaluate something called scratch cooking,” Eilers said.
According to Eilers, scratch cooking involves cooking food directly in the kitchen, as opposed to food cooked and frozen at a different site, then thawed at Park. Currently, Eilers said Park uses frozen food in school meals.
“They went the frozen way about 20 years ago because it was more cost-efficient,” Eilers said. “Although it would require a serious investment, scratch cooking could be healthier for students.”
Altman said she hopes the committee considers providing healthier options at lunch.
“When you don’t feed your body correctly it’s harder for you to do sports and academics, so eating healthy makes you feel better and allows you do more of the things you want to,” Altman said.
Eilers said students can learn more about SNAC on the high school’s website under nutrition.
