April is Global Child Nutrition Month, and we want to do our part in sharing nutrition tips with our Downey Unified community so we can all work together to teach our students healthy habits that set them up for success as they grow.
Nutrition is a heavy focus at Food Services as we plan our monthly menus. We want to ensure our students have access daily to vegetables and proteins while limiting sodium and fats. To achieve these goals, our salad bar is open daily to students and all of our menu items meet National School Lunch Program standards.
Promoting Good Nutrition At Home
You can continue to teach your child healthy habits by promoting the following at home:
- Serve vegetables with every meal (MyPlate.gov says half your plate should be fruits and veggies every day)
- Use whole grains whenever possible (wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.)
- Keep sugary drinks out of the house and encourage drinking water or milk
- Include a protein with each meal (this doesn’t always have to be meat, it could be beans, eggs, nuts, etc.)
In the March blog post for National Nutrition Month, we shared some resources for more tips and specifics on nutrition for each life stage. Well, they’re such important resources, we’re going to share them again!
Resources
- Personalized MyPlate Plan
- Nutrition Tips for Each Life Stage
- Healthy Eating Resources
- Nutritious Kid-Friendly Recipes
- Find a Nutrition Expert
We hope this helps encourage you and your family to promote good nutrition and healthy habits at home, and you can count on us to do the same here at DUSD.