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Tag: food

Getting nutritious meals a concern for some kids over summer

Getting nutritious meals a concern for some kids over summer

June 5, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, Middle Years

For some of the nation’s students, when school is in session, it not only means getting an education, but a nutritious meal. In 1946, President Truman signed the National School Lunch Act, which funded states to provide school lunches to children in need, and today, over 30 million children still benefit, as a part of the […]

Ideas for stronger dinner conversations with your kids

Ideas for stronger dinner conversations with your kids

December 6, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

You just worked a full day, rushed home to make dinner, sit down to eat with your family and open with this showstopper: “How was school today?” A popular answer to this question is, “K,” or perhaps you’re familiar with: “It was fine,” or “Good.” Or even worse, an answer doesn’t come. Just your child, […]

Jump out of the rut; learn how to pack nutritious and fun school lunches

Jump out of the rut; learn how to pack nutritious and fun school lunches

October 3, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, Middle Years

Well, it happened already. My daughter came home from school, handed back her full lunchbox, and with pleading eyes said: “Please, Mom, no more ham and cheese sandwiches. Please.” We are only just beginning the second month of school and I’ve hit a lunch packing dead end. How is that even possible? After chatting with […]

ALICE shines light on the importance of food drives

ALICE shines light on the importance of food drives

December 13, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Not all of us have pantries that would be the envy of a doomsday prepper. And there are probably more of us who are closer to food insecurity than we might think. Students are wrapping up their holiday food drives in public schools across the state. They often get very enthusiastic about filling up those […]

School snacks from home have a bigger role than just filling bellies

School snacks from home have a bigger role than just filling bellies

November 15, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

It’s 8 p.m. on a school night. My second- and fourth-grade sons have reached the point in the evening when they need to go upstairs, shower and get ready for bed. It’s also that point in the evening when they are tired and chaos seems to ensue. As I reach out to flip off the […]

Grow healthier eating habits: The benefits of gardening with children

Grow healthier eating habits: The benefits of gardening with children

November 14, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Recently, dinnertime has become a lot more interesting in my household. Game changer: my nine-month-old son is eating solid foods. So far, pears and sweet potatoes reign supreme, and anything green –beans, peas and avocado, is met with a refusal of shivers and gags. Children not eating their vegetables is an age-old issue, and it’s […]

Thanksgiving meal prep presents a variety of learning opportunities for kids

Thanksgiving meal prep presents a variety of learning opportunities for kids

November 9, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Thanksgiving Day meal preparation is a crash course in academics, problem solving and social skills and one that children at any age can be involved in, even during the toddler years. From meal planning to grocery shopping to food preparation, each step of the Thanksgiving Day meal involves skills related to the core curriculum classes […]

What do students think about school lunch?

What do students think about school lunch?

October 19, 2015 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

More than 30 million students eat a school lunch every day, according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Here’s the burning question that Parent Today has for students: Why? To celebrate National School Lunch Week’s theme of “School Lunch Snapshot,” we asked students from a handful of Capital Region schools to tell us why they’re opting […]

Take a healthy approach to pizza

January 28, 2015 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

It’s the sort of news that can just about ruin a day: A study published in the medical journal Pediatrics suggests pizza may be contributing to childhood obesity. The study showed that one in five children and nearly one-quarter of adolescents in the United States consume pizza on any given day. Researchers at George Washington […]

Solving the healthy lunch conundrum

September 16, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

My 11-year-old nephew loves salmon, relishes broccoli, devours salad and would gladly dig into strip steak for dinner. His favorite meal is pasta with clams. My soon-to-be-9-year-old son, on the other hand, has a very limited repertoire. To say he is picky is an understatement. When my brother and his family visited this summer, I […]