Eating healthy food and getting adequate nutrition is essential to improving a student’s academic performance, which is why the city’s Department of Education is preparing a nutritious menu to welcome students this school year.
Elaine Sánchez, school food supervisor in the NYC Department of Education indicates:
“Our recipes are prepared, all taking into account all the rules of nutrition, salt, sugar and fat content.”
More than 1.1 million students are returning to campus this fall, which can mean long days in the classroom and even longer days with after-school activities.
“For breakfast we offer options of whole wheat flour, fruit and milk, for lunch we offer protein, fruit, vegetables, whole wheat flour and milk options,” adds Sánchez.
The salad cannot be missing, and it is available to each student.
“Where we offer vegetables, fruits and everything is fresh, prepared every day with multiple options, the children can take as much as they want”, explains the supervisor.
Under the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs, as part of the meal, low-fat milk, fat-free milk, and fat-free chocolate milk must be offered.
There are also water options.
Last year, the Adams administration announced a Council of Chefs who worked to develop recipes in conjunction with students, with the goal of providing nutrient-dense options that students of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy this school year.
“And several of them are going to be on the September menu, such as fried rice, Caribbean spice jerk chicken, and we have different options,” continues Sánchez.
For some children, school meals may be the only healthy meal of the day, hence the importance of parents educating children about a balanced diet.
“Unfortunately in New York City, we have families, who may not have the resources to put food on the table, our meals are completely free and nutritious, we encourage parents to take advantage of our services, our meals are totally delicious and prepared with a lot of love.”
And for those students who do not want to eat the main menu, there are also alternative options, such as peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, among others.
2023-08-30 13:24:00
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