SPOTLIGHT:
Real Food for Kids Alexandria
First Greens & More Bar Opens
Real Food for Kids Alexandria assisted Alexandria City Public Schools with the roll out of the first Greens & More Bar at Charles Barrett Elementary School by building excitement for the launch. Students decorated empty walls outside the cafeteria with vegetable-themed drawings and, during the first week the bar was open, parents helped students acclimate to the new process, such as reminding them to sanitize their hands and how to use utensils correctly and hygienically. But most fun was the student incentive.
Read more...
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Students at Mount Vernon Community School "Pear" Up
SPOTLIGHT: Real Food for Kids Alexandria
Last month, Real Food for Kids Alexandria hosted a food tasting at Mount Vernon Community School. Fresh, local pears donated by Toigo Farms were given to students to try out as a healthy snack during lunch time. Kids raved about the sweet, crunchy, juicy snack. RFFK Alexandria is holding similar food tastings throughout Alexandria City Public Schools on a quarterly basis. Watch the video.
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NEW DATE
!
Registration Opens March 1
Healthy School Advocacy Training
Wednesday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Merrifield, Virginia
The food served in cafeterias is only one part of what makes a healthy school. Classroom parties, school events, event PTA meetings have the potential to support health and nutrition curriculum being taught in the classroom and influence students' health habits.
Real Food for Kids has built a respected model for effective parent advocacy as the local face of a national movement to improve the food in our schools. With FCPS and other Northern Virginia school districts implementing change in their cafeterias, attention must now turn to building a structure in schools that takes a holistic approach to the health of the school community.
Registration for Real Food for Kids Healthy School Advocacy Training will open on March 1.
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Decoding Your Kid's Sugar High
Shehla Dhar,
RFFK Intern
George Mason University, School of Nutrition and Food Studies
As a parent of two growing kids, I have always focused on feeding them
nutrient-dense foods and steering away from the empty calories in high sugar,
energy-dense foods. Energy-dense foods have been linked to increased rates of childhood diabetes and obesity, to name a few.
So, naturally, at a recent birthday party, I requested small portions of cake for my kids, expecting they would have a "sugar rush" and go "hyper" after they ate it.
It turns out that expectation may be all wrong.
While there are plenty of reasons for avoiding high sugar food, the evidence that sugar makes kids hyper may not stand up. Read more...
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Upcoming RFFK Meetings
Real Food for Kids monthly meetings are open to anyone interested in learning more about our ongoing work in the county, getting your school involved, or becoming one of our valued volunteers. Please join us.
February 16
Gatehouse Administration Center
Room 5050
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location
March 16
Mount Vernon District Government Center, Room #1
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location
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Student Nutrition Advisory Council
Parents! Do you have a high schools student interested in...
Impacting food served to over 186,000 students in Fairfax County?
Working on issues that could impact our region?
Tasting new menu ideas?
RFFK Student Rep, Suzie Bae, who launched her student school food blog in December, has started the Student Nutrition Advisory Council with a group of students from several FCPS high schools. The council seeks to advocate for more nutritious options in school food to be available on a daily basis.
Their first project is the development of a student survey to gather feedback and suggestions from students regarding school food. The survey will launch January 30. Students interested in assisting with the survey or being a part of SNAC, should contact Suzie to get involved.
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Power Plates
Virginia PTA Student Recipe Contest
Are you a student who loves to cook and share your creations?
Is your PTA looking for a way to engage students in a healthy habits program?
The Virginia PTA is once again holding its Power Plates Student Recipe Program designed to encourage culinary exploration at home and spread the word about healthy food choices through original recipes. Students in grades K-12, participating through a local PTA/PTSA, are eligible to compete in five categories
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