Parents

The school day just got healthier thanks to changes to school meals. As a parent, you have the ability to help make the school meal changes a positive and exciting experience for your child. The new school meals have more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; low-fat milk; and less salty and fatty foods. School meals now do a better job of giving your kids the healthy foods they need. Help your child check out these new meals and find what they like.

It takes time to get kids to learn to like new foods. Here are some tips to help your children eat healthy foods:

• Make time to join your child for lunch in the school cafeteria.

• When your child gets home from school, ask what he/she ate for lunch.

• Eat meals with your child as much as you can. Let your child see you eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at meals and snacks.

• Grocery shopping can teach your children about healthy eating. Talk to them about where vegetables, fruits and grains, and milk and meat come from. Let your children make healthy choices.

• Try new foods yourself. Describe how they smell, feel and taste. Offer one new food at a time. Serve something your child likes with the new food.

• The School Day Just Got Healthier. Together we can help our kids learn healthy habits that last forever.
  

Use “The School Day Just Got Healthier Toolkit” as a valuable resource providing tools to help you learn and get involved with this exciting time in school meals!

 

Last modified: 10/02/2012