Running head: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT 1

PPE310: Healthy Learning Communities

Janet Barrone

Signature Assignment

4/27/2018
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Make Nutrient Dense Choices of the School’s Cafeteria.

Introduction

Students are the future and we are killing them off by feeding them unhealthy,

processed lunches. It is important and necessary to provide a heathier option in school

cafeterias, as well as the need to raise awareness regarding to nutrient dense meals.

The reason that school cafeterias should have healthy lunches is that eating unhealthy

food can cause obesity. Because there are increasing of childhood obesity in the

Unites States coupled with additional health concerns such as diabetes, high blood

pressure, and heart disease. Unhealthy problems can cause health problems for

students. Students needs to get the essential nutrients that they need every day. We

need to start giving them a healthy food choice and get far away from those diseases.

Overall, school should give students a healthy lunch in the cafeterias, as well as

parents should learn how to make a healthy lunch for children bring to school. Thus,

my plan will target on the well-being of school students and focus on raising

awareness of knowing the importance of eat healthy and how to make healthy food

choices both inside and outside of the school’s cafeteria. My plan will help parents

make a healthier lifestyle for their children which means it will teach parents how to

provide and prepare food choices at home and students who can bring it to school.

Review of Current Literature

One article stated that the school environment plays a fundamental role in

shaping lifelong healthy behaviors and can have a powerful influence on students’

eating habits. There are some brief highlights areas where policy opportunities exist,
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as well as areas where policies are well-established relative how to create a healthier

cafeteria in school. Improving the school nutrition environment has the potential to

improve students' physical health and academic achievement (Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention and Bridging the Gap Research Program). Second, The food

choice in childhood are core contributors to obesity and chronic diseases during

adolescence and adulthood. Nutrition education in elementary schools can provide

children with the information and skills to develop healthy food choices and dietary

behaviors (Perera, T., Frei, S., Frei, B., Wong, S. S., & Bobe, G. 2015). Third, Food

provided in schools represent a substantial portion of US students in school dietary

intake; however, some of the school environment has proven difficult to describe due

to the lack of a healthier cafeteria. It is necessary to provide a School Cafeteria

Nutrition Assessment (SCNA) measures to assess food availability in public school

cafeterias. if it is not in a good condition, school cafeterias needs to provide change in

the availability of healthier options. (Krukowski, R. A., Philyaw Perez, A. G., Bursac,

Z., Goodell, M., Raczynski, J. M., Smith West, D., & Phillips, M. M. 2011). Fourth,

one study suggested that lunches brought from home may be less nutritionally sound

than lunches provided in schools through the National School Lunch Program. The

nutritional content of the school lunch items was provided by the schools’ foodservice

managers and some experts (King, P. 2014, November 12). Fifth, a healthy lunches

choice can help students perform better in school and it can help student improve their

health. Students are having fast food and junk food are scored worse on their school

assessment, which explain nutrition can affect students either directly or indirectly on
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the daily performance. (Campbellsville University Education Department. 2016,

December 7)

Synthesis of Literature Review

The school environment is one of several settings that can influence children’s

food choice and eating habits. School should not provide fast food to students, if

students were to eat unhealthy and fast food every day, they would become unhealthy

and possibly overweight. Obesity is a problem among many children and some school

lunches could have contributed to this problem. Thus, it is necessary to make schools’

cafeteria healthier.

I have three articles in my literature review come to a conclusion which is related

to support school make nutrient dense choices of the schools’ cafeteria. In addition,

Health and Nutritious education should be taught to students and parents so they can

make mindful educated food choices. Another two articles are related to the impact of

schools’ cafeteria on students. If school lunches become more nutritious then more

students will eat them making them healthier and performing better in academically.

Overall, all of my reviewed articles are focus on raising awareness of knowing the

importance of eat healthy and how to make healthy food choices both inside and

outside of the school’s cafeteria. As well as help parents being educated and make a

healthier lunch for their children. It is not only important for students and parents

engagement, but also it is success in school environment as well.

Practical Implication

Overall plan: My overall plan is to create an program which make nutrient dense
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choices of the school’s cafeteria, I named this program Lunch Time. This program to

inform both students and parents the importance of making healthy food choice in

school and learn how to pack nutrient food or lunch box to bring to school. It is

important to eat healthy because it helps students reduce the risk of diseases and helps

maintain a healthy body. This program will hold once a month for students after

school. The purpose of entire program is educate students and parents learn about

healthy eating style, cook healthy meal and nutrition knowledge. Help students with

healthier and more nutrition food options, educate students about making healthy food

choices. My program will consist of the following components: marketing,

engagement, scheduling, committee, recognition, and educational component. I

believe that this program will bring lots of benefits for both students and parents.

Marketing: For my marketing program, I would like to create several visual

aesthetics to advertise the program with the hopes of a large of students and parents to

learn the health lifestyle through my program. I would like to make a flyer detailing

the important aspects of the program as well as the name and logo for my school

nutrition program. In addition, create a display with sample meals, nutrient analysis,,

recipes, and cost comparisons. Then I will show this display at conferences, classes,

community wellness event. An informational newsletter will also crate to go more in

depth outlining the details of the program. This newsletter is designing for students

and parents to help them grasp the intension of the program. A scheduling time will

also create for students and parents. This time guide will give students and parents a
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specific timing so that they can arrange their schedule around the program if they

interested. Last things is a handout, this will give students and parents who attend the

class.

Engagement: My program is encouraging students and parents work together to

reach the final goals of increasing the awareness of healthy lifestyle. Educating

parents how to make a heathy food choice for their children and pack nutrient dense

lunches. More importantly, my program are on the frontline of efforts to improve

students’ nutrition in school, collective health. Improving the meals that students in

schools is an important step to achieve the goal, as well as educating parents about

healthy eating. By engaging in the activities through this program, increasing students

and parents engagement is making sure they know the difference between healthy and

unhealthy eating habits, and awareness of healthy lifestyle and knowledge, as well as

encouraging them to do so. Also I would like to invite the culinary teacher during the

class, then they can instruct the program.

Scheduling;The program conference will be hold after school, on the last Friday of

each month from 5pm-7pm. The school will open the door to their classroom for

parents, then, culinary teacher will instruct the program each month. The content is

subject to change each month. The entire program will hold for four months, there are

4 classes totally. Culinary teacher will implements the nutritional lesson during the

class, for example, explain the healthy values, meal pattern and nutrition quality,
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manage food box and bring it to school etc. In addition, scheduling the activities time,

discussion time and questions time during 2 hours each week.

Committee: The program committee is the principals from schools, they will help the

program. In addition, the teachers from schools will help advertise the program, for

example, they will tell students about the program, and encourage students bring their

parents come and join us. The teachers will also help answer any questions for

students and parents. School culinary teacher who will be teaching the class each

week on Friday and they will creating the lessons and activities for students and

parents. Most of committee will coming from school position. Because they are the

most familiar person for students and parents.

Recognition: For this program, I hope to bring the benefits to the community, school

together to better educate young students as well as parents on the importance of

eating healthy. Giving students more options for healthier choices and reducing the

options of unhealthy food choices can increase success and energy throughout the

school day, as well as how they perform in and outside of the classroom. The

recognition I want to receive is to be known for helping students reduce the disease

and body weight, such as obesity because it is necessary to take serious action

against obesity; otherwise, our future will consist in unhealthy generations. Helping

with a better school lunch and provide nutrient dense lunches for these students
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Educational Components: There are numerous scientific studies have suggested a

strong link between child nutrition and learning in school. Also it is extremely

important of provide students a healthy school meals programs in improving the

educational performance of students. My program is helping students and parents and

incorporate several educational components to raise awareness about healthy

ingredient substitutions, what make a good mean and how to teach children to make

the right food choice independently. As well as teach the parents how preparing

healthy lunch for their children and help them living a healthy lifestyle. Motivate and

educate parents about why addressing healthy lunch meal in school is important.

Educating parents what they can do to support a healthy school lunch program and

how they can help schools improve the students nutrition through pack the lunch for

their children. Program for students and parents are designed specifically for them and

give them a comprehensive understanding of the healthy lunch. Encourage parent to

make a difference or change in their child’s school lunch box if they are not in a right

way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think this program is critical to ensure that students are provided

with all of the appropriate tools and resources to achieve to the best of their ability

inside and outside of the classroom. Providing adequate amounts of nutritious food in

schools is more important than many realize.(Jane E. Erody 2017). There are some

research and studies shows that certain nutrients either positively or negatively

affecting the performance and engagement of students in school. And meal nutrition
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standards are having a positive impact on student food selection and

consumption.(Food research & Action Center). While this effect is modest in

magnitude, help school students provide healthy food lunch or educate students and

parents raise their awareness of healthy lunch, this a very cost-effective way to raise

students’ performance and development. Thus, my program will raise awareness

about the importance of healthy eating and living active lifestyles. Additionally, this

program will further educate parents and students on how to make healthy food

choices, provides recipes for healthy family cooking, and lastly, teaches how to pack a

nutrient dense lunchbox for school. After the entire program finished, I will create a

survey and send to students and parents. It is always good to gather some feedback

from participants. And these feedback might include suggestions, comments and

advices. We will factor in all of these aspects when considering our revisions and

second year of implementation of the program. Overall, I hope my program can really

help students and parents. I wish my program will pass lots of positive to people.

Appendix:
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References

Jane E. Erody (2017). Feeding Young Minds: The Importance of School Lunches.

Retrieved form https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/well/feeding-young-minds-

the-importance-of-school-lunches.html

Food research & Action Center. Benefits of School lunch.

Retrieved from http://www.frac.org/programs/national-school-lunch-

program/benefits-school-lunch

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Bridging the Gap Research

Program. Strategies for Creating Supportive School Nutrition Environments,

Update for the 2012–13 School Year. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services; 2014.

Perera, T., Frei, S., Frei, B., Wong, S. S., & Bobe, G. (2015). Improving Nutrition

Education in US Elementary Schools: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of

Education and Practice, 6(30), 41-50.

Krukowski, R. A., Philyaw Perez, A. G., Bursac, Z., Goodell, M., Raczynski, J. M.,

Smith West, D., & Phillips, M. M. (2011). Development and evaluation of the

school cafeteria nutrition assessment measures. Journal of School Health, 81(8),

431-436.

King, P. (2014, November 12). Is school lunch better than packed lunch? Retrieved

November 19, 2017, from http://www.foodservicedirector.com/ideas-

innovation/health-wellness/articles/school-lunch-better-packed-lunch

Campbellsville University Education Department. (2016, December 7). The Impact of

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School Lunch on Student Performance.

Retrieved October 30, 2017, from:

https://online.campbellsville.edu/education/healthy-body-healthy-mind-the-impact-of-

school-lunch-on-student-performance/