Hi Everyone,
The elementary school my children attend had an event this week called PTA in the Park. It was a gathering at a park near the school of families and school personnel with a theme “Get Out and Move”. The focus was on exercise, nutrition, bike safety and of course fellowship with your neighbors. The event was a huge success, although reminded me that we have a lot of work to do in our schools to promote healthy living.
Green Plate Kids provided dinner for this event. Let me take a moment to give a shout out to Lisa Pounds and her crew for being so gracious and excited about feeding our families a healthy dinner. This is what Lisa says about GPK on her website http://www.greenplatekids.com/ . The goal of Green Plate Kids is to provide all the research and nutrition you need, into every single menu item so that you can easily choose healthy meals for your child leaving more time to relax and enjoy your family. We also want to provide tips to help you create healthy eating habits for your children. I have assembled a talented team made up of a registered dietitian and trained chef, who is also a mother of two, along with a very talented and experienced Executive Chef. Our goal is to deliver a healthy balance of the “greenest”, most nutritious, and best tasting food for you and your children.
I first met Lisa and her team when GPK came to our home for a cooking class for my daughter’s 9th birthday. We have been big supporters since. And for all of you that live in Pearland, Lisa will start delivery to Pearland on May 1!
I really wasn’t hired to say all these nice things about GPK , I am just a passionate mom and cancer survivor who wants to feed our families better (not perfect, just better). And what not a better place to see this than a school event. Folks, we are up against cancer, diabetes, allergies, heart disease, and on and on showing up at much younger ages. Not to mention the parents and professionals who aren’t on board yet. While I was checking in families at PTA in the Park a mom came to the table and grumbled about our menu saying out loud “Ooh, all-natural, hormone-free ground chicken breast combined with veggies and whole grain. My kids are not going to eat this!” “And, zucchini in cookies?” She went on and on while the PTA president and I looked at each other in disbelief that this mom was complaining about feeding her kids healthy. The kicker is when the mom said “Oh, it’s shaped like a nugget, that’s better.” Really? So if it’s in the shape of a nugget that makes it real food!? Folks, we have a problem. I finally had to tell this mom, “See, this is what we are up against.” We laughed (awkwardly) and convinced her to purchase the zucchini-chocolate chip cookies. I later found out that she holds a very high position in a school. Yes, it’s true.
On to movement.... Did you know that children love to exercise? The coaches had all the kids stretching and on hoola hoops. We also had a great DJ who captured the attention of the kids and had them moving and shaking like animals! At one point he even had them sitting in a yoga pose meditating while announcements were being made. I was certain he was going to lead them in a down dog or warrior series. Loved it!
I am so proud of our school and how we are supporting this movement. Go Stallions!
There is so much information on the internet about schools and healthy change. Here are a few sites that I found on nutrition:
Time for Lunch campaign
F.D.A. Panel to Consider Warnings for Artificial Food Colorings
2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines: What they mean for families, kids, and schools. Written for KIWI magazine
Whole Foods Great American Salad Bar Project
Seven Simple Strategies for Packing an A+ Lunch
Be Well,
This is fantastic! We really try to feed our kids healthier and are amazed at the people who snub us for doing so. I feel it is my job to educate these people about how harmful our foods are. I am furious at our government for allowing these foods to make it to the grocery store shelves.
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