Parent Advocacy Training: School Food

1. Parent Advocacy Training: School Food

2. Our Children’s Health: Looking at Food & Schools Healthy Schools Initiatives – Brooklyn Brooklyn District Public Health Office Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

3. Why are we here today? • What health problems do you see in your community? • How does food tie into these health issues? • How do schools fit into the picture?

4. Obesity: Background Reference: Egger JR, Bartley KF, Benson L, Bellino D, Kerker B. Childhood Obesity is a Serious Concern in New York City: Higher Levels of Fitness Associated with Better Academic Performance. NYC Vital Signs 2009, 8(1): 1-4.

5. Obesity: North/Central Brooklyn Obesity & diabetes rates are 33%-50% > NYC average.

6. If this continues… Our current generation of children could become the FIRST in American history to live shorter lives than their parents.

7. How does food fit in? • Healthier Diets Reduce Risk • More: Fruits, Overweight/Obesity, • Veggies, Less: Fat, Sugar, Salt Diabetes, other illness • Whole grains, • Low-fat dairy • Food in your neighborhood • Supermarkets: Est. 1 per 10,000 residents in Bushwick/Bed Stuy vs. • 3 per 10,000 residents Upper East Side • Bodegas: 100s stores, limited healthier options • Other Retail Sites: Restaurants, Drug Stores, Farmer’s Markets, • Produce Stands, Schools • Quality of Food in these places

8. How does School Food fit in? • Students eat 35−40% of their calories at school* • Schools shape opinions about food, preferences, & lifelong eating habits* • Schools can be allies (or obstacles) to promoting good nutrition • Obesity, diabetes, and diet-related illnesses are at epidemic levels *Source: School lunch and snacking patterns among high school students: Associations with school food environment and policies Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Simone A French1, Peter J Hannan1, Mary Story1 and Jayne A Fulkerson2 International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2005, 2:14; Contento I, Balch GI, Bronner YL, et al. Nutrition education for school-aged children. J Nutr Educ 1995;27(6):298-311.

9. School Food Changes Over Time: 1940s to 2000s • Fight Hunger Fight Obesity • As Food Environment Changed: • More processed foods • More fast and junk foods • Larger portions • More processed foods in our children's school food

10. NYC School Food Changes, 2000s to present: • Respond to health issues • Respond to action and input from students and parents • Less sodium, fat, & cholesterol • No high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, & certain artificial ingredients • More fiber • 1% and skim milk

11. School Food is an important piece of the puzzle… “…we don’t want a situation where parents are taking all the right steps at home – and then their kids undo all that work with salty, fatty food in the school cafeteria. So let’s move to get healthier food into our nation’s schools.” - Michelle Obama

12. School Food 101What You Need to Know to Improve the Food in Your Child’s School

13. Two Types of Food School Breakfast and Lunch • Served in the cafeteria at scheduled times • National rules set by the Federal Government (USDA) • Cafeteria staff are employees of Office of SchoolFood, NOT the school itself “Competitive Foods” • Available outside of the cafeteria in vending machines, school stores, fundraisers, at events or in classrooms • Examples: Linden’s cookies, Nestle Iced tea, Sunchips • The school principal has the most control

14. We’re going to talk mostly about the School Breakfast and Lunch programs operated by the DOE Office of SchoolFood

15. What Are the Basic Rules? (1) Source: USDA, NYS Dept of Education, NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood What is offered? • Foods in 5 different food groups - grains, protein, vegetable, fruit, and fluid cow’s milk (alternatives like soy or almond milk do NOT count in the milk category) • Nutrition standards – key nutrients are required in certain amounts. Lunch must provide 1/3 (and breakfast ¼) of the RDA (“Recommended Daily Allowance”) for children for protein, vitamins A & C, calcium, and iron. There are also limits on the amount of fat, saturated fat, and sodium allowed in meals. • Portion sizes are set – no “seconds” allowed (even veggies!)

16. What Are the Basic Rules? (2) Source: USDA, NYS Dept of Education, NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood What is required of students, and what choices do students have? • Students can choose at least 3 and up to 5 items that count as a reimbursable meal according to USDA. Cafeteria staff is responsible for making sure this rule is followed. Students are NOT permitted to take combinations of foods that do not “count” as a meal – even if that would seem to make a “healthier” plate. • Students choose what they take (within above rules),but not how much (portion sizes are set) • Students need not eat any of the food taken • Students are charged based on family income

17. How Much is a Child Asked to Pay? There are 3 pay categories based on family income reported on the school meal application every single year. Applications are in the principal’s office. If you don’t return an application every year your child will be charged full price no matter what your income is! BREAKFAST IS FREE FOR EVERYONE! Source: USDA http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/notices/iegs/IEGs09-10.pdf, NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood

18. How Can Parents Make the Program Work Better for Them? FIRST, familiarize yourself with the school food program. A lot of information is available to you! Complete your child’s school meal application Read the parent information brochure and other info on the SchoolFood website. Find it by typing into google: “nyc doe schoolfood”. Here is the link for the parent brochure: http://www.opt-osfns.org/osfns/ParentInformation/ParentInfoBrochure.aspx Get a copy of the citywide menu on the SchoolFood website or in your school. Attend the parent training – great, you’re doing that!

19. THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF SCHOOLFOOD

20. SchoolFood Is a Big Operation! 2nd largest food purchaser in the United States! Serves 860,000 meals a day With 9,000 employees In 1,600 cafeterias Source: NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood

21. School Food Changes We’re Glad to See! • SchoolFood has improved nutrition quality in recent years • Only 1% or skim milk (no full fat milk) • Only whole wheat breads • More salad bars – 570 citywide • And, some “pilot” programs are making the food and the “eating experience” better in some schools. • Breakfast in the Classroom • Water Jet Machines • Garden to Café • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program Source: NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood

22. Which Foods are on the Menu in My Child’s School, and How Did They Get There? • Office of SchoolFood purchases items for the entire city • Individual schools order foods from the citywide list roughly 2 - 4 weeks before items are served • Not every item is available in every school. Some reasons for variation between schools are: • Student preference/item popularity • Kitchen equipment and number of cafeteria staff • Participation by parents and school staff in menu planning Source: NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood

23. How Can You Change the Food at Your Child’s School? AFTER you do your homework, THEN it’s time to get to know your SchoolFood Manager This is the person who orders food for your school and supervises the cafeteria staff Each Manager oversees 4-5 schools. How many days a week are they in your school? Source: NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood

24. How Can You Change the Food at Your Child’s School? SF Managers are required to seek yours and your child’s input through School Food Partnership Meetings These are meant to be an open forum for parents, students, cafeteria staff, and school staff to talk about school food. They should occur once a month during the school day. DO THESE HAPPEN? HOW DO WE KNOW? HOW DO WE PARTICIPATE? Source: NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood

25. What Can a School Food Manager Change? • Managers can use “menu flexibility”to substitute unpopular items, or order requested foods. • Common examples: • Substituting another protein for pork, or baked chicken for • chicken nuggets • Changing the vegetable of the day (usually frozen) to salad • Offering fresh fruit instead of fruit juice for breakfast • The Manager cannot change everything! • Avoid “demands”. Instead, communicate with your manager and the cafeteria staff to find options that work best in your school. Source: NYC DOE Office of SchoolFood

26. Nutrition and Cost Comparison – Breakfast • Bodega Breakfast • Bagel w/ cream cheese $0.75 • Sunny delight $0.50 • Chips $0.25 • TOTAL COST: • $1.50 /day or • $273 / school year • SchoolFood Breakfast • (Oct 29 Grab & Go menu) • Cinnamon-Raisin Bagel Burst • Fruit choice • Kix cereal • Assorted Milk • TOTAL COST: • $0 Source: NYC DOHMH Brooklyn DPHO (Bodega observation); SchoolFood website

27. Nutrition and Cost Comparison – Lunch • Bodega Lunch • Any sandwich w lettuce, tomato, and cheese $3.00 • Soda $1.25 • Chips $0.25 • TOTAL COST: • $4.50 /day or • $819 / school year • SchoolFood Lunch • (JHS/HS menu Oct 29) • Hot Turkey or Ham and Swiss Hero w Thousand Island Dressing OR Pizza • Healthy Cole-Slaw • Fruit • Assorted Milk • TOTAL COST: • $0 or $0.25 or $1.50 / day • $0 or $45 or $273 /school year Source: NYC DOHMH Brooklyn DPHO (Bodega observation); SchoolFood website

28. Now it’s your turn… • Changing Meals in Your School • Activity

29. Where do we go from here? Source: NYC DOHMH Brooklyn DPHO (Bodega observation); SchoolFood website