By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Parents of the Juab School District did have some comments about the proposed wellness policy at a special meeting held to discuss that document and the district lunch program as a part of a wellness policy.
Of the 30 people present, a few offered comments on ideas they had for improving the lunch program. Some appreciated what was offered and the way it was done.
“I can tell you, I don’t eat that well (as if she were eating school lunch) at work,” said Cori Nuzman.
Nuzman had moved to the area from the Nebo School District and said the Juab program was better.
“Some of the things the kids eat at school are better than what I have in my pantry,” she said.
Delanie Hathaway, board president, said board members were aware that Juab School District had one of the very best programs in the state. However, they were looking at ways to make wellness principles in the district even better.
Obviously that included meals but it also included exercise.
In answer to a question posed by Jennifer Rowley, Charlene Allert, USOE Nutrition Specialist, said that the district was using more grains in meals. Whole wheat, she said, was preferable to whole grain, and that was what the program was incorporating into foods served.
It was also mentioned that first graders did not know how to make the best of choices in foods. Another complaint was that they were in such a hurry to get outside to play that they did not eat all they took.
“The best that we can do is offer all good choices but not by mandating what they eat,” said Allert.
“I was coerced to eat and I threw up,” said Hathaway.
Having recess before lunch would also help with the problem of the child who wants to get outside. Research indicates, said Allert, that children eat more and concentrate better when they have recess and then lunch.
There is also not any evidence that eating a low glycemic diet offers a child any real benefit, Allert said.
She said that a ideal diet offers not more than 34 percent fat, 10 percent of it from saturated fats, and 1,000 milligrams of sodium per meal.
“That is aggregated over a week so that the diet is balanced over a week’s time,” said Nanette Barrett, Juab School District Lunch Supervisor.
A body puts together the meals eaten over a week’s time and takes from those meals the nutrients that are necessary for growth and development. One meal in a week did not make that much difference. It was the whole week’s worth that added up.
The day that a peanut butter bar was served, the total fat for that one item was 34 percent, she said.
“Some fat is needed,” said Allert. “Vitamins are carried by fats. Saturated fat is bad and transfat is even worse.”
Gini Guerinot said that she had been told that a microwave was not part of the cafeteria because it could cause problems for those with heart devices. However, she had also been told that was no longer a major concern.
“What I did was bring a warm lunch from home (for her child),” she said.
Melanie Eldridge had some objection to the chicken nuggets being served at school lunch because, even though they were healthy, the kids did not know that. They would, therefore, not be inclined to understand that the kind sold in a fast food eatery were not the same ones sold in the school.
“Maybe a note at the bottom of the lunch menus would help,” said Stacy Brooks, board member. “That way parents would know the nutrient values.
One parent said, that at their home they did not snack, and thought that was a good plan. She did not understand why some teachers told kids to bring snacks from home to eat in class.
She was told that research indicates that it is better to have many small meals in one day than to have just three meals.
“A whole lot of kids get away without breakfast in the morning,” said Susan Cowan, district Special Education Director. “It is hard to learn and be starving. That is why some teachers ask for a mid-morning snack to be brought into the classroom.”
Brooks asked why nachos could be considered a main dish.
“Meaty nachos are a main dish (meat, cheese, tomato, grain). We had a request for a vegetarian choice and began serving, as a choice, the stand-alone nachos,” said Barrett. “We also serve bread sticks and a meaty dipping sauce. That is not too much different, nutritionally, than lasagna.”
Barrett said the school lunch at any of the schools would welcome parents. They may come and eat with their students any time they would like. That way, parents may see first hand what is being served and what students seem to eat.
As the considered the changes to be made to the schools as the board adopts a wellness policy, said Cowan, she hoped they would remember that “the morning academic time is golden.”
Parents said that students in elementary grades may be more likely to eat a food if it is placed on their plate.
“We are an ‘offer Vs serve’ district,” said Barrett. “Our cafeteria has ‘offer Vs. serve,’ which means that students are allowed to choose the foods they want to take, which reduces food waste. We let students take as many fruits and vegetables as they want from the salad bar, but also remind them to take only as much as they can eat.
In addition, she said, she was required by national school lunch standards to offer a main dish. If the students were taking the main dish, that was important.
Allert said that it was remarkable that a district as small as Juab School District was able to have a fruit and vegetable bar.
She said that a garbage can study indicated what kinds of foods and how much food was wasted when students were just served a tray. Increased labor costs also were a concern if more workers had to be hired to oversee the eating habits of students.
“It would also take more time to get students through the lunch line if students were served as they were with the traditional five-component plan.” she said.
Hathaway said they would continue to study all of the wellness proposals and would work out a policy for the district. Allert said she thought the district policy was still too broad and needed to be narrowed in focus.
“I knew it was too big an elephant to eat all at one time,” said Hathaway.
