Preparing healthy meals that meet nutrition standards, navigating students’ special dietary needs, and offering service with a smile are all in a day’s work for school nutrition professionals. On Friday, May 3rd, School Lunch Superhero Day is giving students and parents an opportunity to show their appreciation for the men and women working in their school cafeterias.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author and illustrator of the popular LUNCH LADY graphic novel series, has teamed up with the School Nutrition Association and Random House Children’s Books to host the event, which encourages students to honor their School Lunch Superheroes with cards, bouquets and special recognition for their kind service. Creative ideas and downloads are available at www.SchoolLunchSuperheroDay.com.

Inspired by his own childhood School Lunch Superhero, Jean J. Cariglia, Jarrett J. Krosoczka created the popular LUNCH LADY series of graphic novels for kids, starring a crime-fighting school nutrition professional and her faithful sidekick, Betty. But School Lunch Superheroes can be found in every community.

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At Coulter Grove Intermediate School in Tennessee, Patty Morris is beloved by all her students. Her cafeteria manager reports “Patty greets everyone with warmth and enthusiasm. She knows her students so well that she can tell what fruits and vegetables they enjoy and they trust her when she encourages them to try something new.”

In Missouri, Dawn Lehmann of Seckman Middle School and Loretta Beck of Simpson Elementary, realized that many students and families in their community don’t know the fundamentals of cooking. They worked together to develop a class designed to teach the art and love of cooking and promote a healthier way of eating. On Thursdays after wrapping up their work in their school cafeterias, the two team up to teach the two hour class for 4th-6th graders.

As part of a recent National School Breakfast Week student writing contest, one fifth grader from New Hampshire honored his school cafeteria manager. “If I could enjoy school breakfast [with anyone] in the world, it would be our school lunch lady, Miss Lorie. I would pick her because she does so many good things for the students of DCS. Like gives us homemade Christmas ordements [sic], and makes out of this world muffins! And I would just like to thank her for all she does.”

Be sure to thank your School Lunch Superheroes for their service today, and every day!

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage all family members to drink more milk for the calcium and other key nutrients milk provides.  The guidelines also cite scientific evidence linking milk consumption with stronger bones among children and adolescents and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes among adults.

New nutrition standards for school meals ensure school milk choices are fat-free or 1% white milk or fat-free flavored milk, and a recent national analysis

 finds that school milk is now lower in added sugar and calories.  But schools aren’t just offering these healthier choices – they are also finding creative ways to encourage students to drink their milk!

Last year, Vinton Elementary School in Indiana hosted a “Hooray for Milk” week to teach students about the importance of dairy products.  The festivities even included a field trip to a local dairy farm.

Struggling to get your kids to reach for milk at home?  Help them get their recommended 3-A-Day with this Peach Orangaroo Smoothie recipe.

Every student wants to be a superstar at school, but it’s hard to shine on an empty stomach.  Thankfully, the School Breakfast Program is helping parents ensure students start their morning with all the nutrition they need for a spectacular day.

Studies have shown that students who eat school breakfast achieve higher math and reading scores and behave better in class.  To highlight the many benefits of school breakfast, schools across the country will host the “Be a Star with School Breakfast” campaign during National School Breakfast Week (March 4-8, 2013).  Cafeterias will celebrate with special menus, events and decorations, best place to order flowers online

ets.pdf” target=”_blank”>fun activities for students and a take home brochure for families.

Under new nutrition standards for school meals, cafeterias are making healthy changes to school breakfast by switching to whole grains, offering more fruit and limiting fat and sodium in meals.  Check out your school menu or talk with your cafeteria manager about the choices available at your school.

And don’t forget to jumpstart your weekend activities with a healthy breakfast too.  This Pineapple Blueberry Parfait recipe was developed for school cafeterias, but can be prepared at home too!

“Be a Star with School Breakfast” was created by the non-profit School Nutrition Association with support from Kellogg’s Foodservice.

Among other healthy changes, new nutrition standards for school meals require cafeterias to reduce sodium over the next 10 years. Cutting back on salt too quickly can dampen anyone’s taste buds, but by gradually transitioning to lower sodium dishes, we can all learn to enjoy healthier meals.

The good news is that reducing your family’s sodium intake can be as simple as switching from regular to low sodium ingredients. Try preparing this Southwest Veggie Wrap, made with low sodium black beans or this Spicy Mexican Soup using a low sodium chicken base. And don’t forget to stock your kitchen with spices and herbs like the garlic powder and fresh basil which keep this Balsamic Vinaigrette Tomato Salad full of flavor, without added salt.

To find out more about healthy school meals and healthy changes for your family, click here.

Try this low sodium Southwest Veggie Wrap recipe
from Orange County (FL) Schools.

Get your kids involved in the meal preparations – it’s a great way to introduce them to the ingredients in your refrigerator and talk about healthy choices throughout the year. Consider sending the kids on a whole grain pantry hunt to read nutrition labels and count up how many whole grain products they can find (Click here to learn more about whole grains choices.).

Cougar Run Elementary Students (Douglas County School District, CO)
on a school kitchen Culinary Adventure with Chef Jason Morse.

Show your children how to make your holiday favorites healthier choices. School cafeterias have switched to 1% and fat-free milk, swapped out the salt for spices, and ditched white bread for whole wheat. These healthy changes are easy to make in your family kitchen too!

Visit Tray Talk’s recipe page for nutritious school cafeteria favorites in family size recipes that you can test out over winter break. And for more ideas, check out these nutrition tips for the holidays, and find out how MyPlate can help inspire healthy habits for your family.

In Provo School District, Utah, students are digging into delicious dishes like Roasted Turkey and Baked Sweet Potato, seasoned with cinnamon and a dash of sugar, while kids in Forsyth County Schools, Georgia, can enjoy a Balsamic Vinaigrette Tomato Salad. Parents – you can get in on the fun too by clicking on the links for family-sized versions of these tasty recipes.

As every parent knows, kids often need a little encouragement to try a new vegetable, but schools are finding creative ways to win over the most hesitant students. At Westwood Elementary in Wellington, Ohio, even the finickiest children will gobble up their veggies so they can join their PE teacher in doing the “Sweet Potato Dance!”

Cathy Anderson of Moneta Elementary, Virginia,
hands out free pumpkin samples on “Tasteful Tuesday.”

School cafeterias have been cooking up menus that feature more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and meet new limits on calories, sodium and fat. Check out this video to see for yourself!

Lunch Week is a great time for parents to get involved and learn about the healthy options available in school cafeterias. Some schools are participating in KIWI Magazine’s “Take Your Parents to Lunch Day” inviting parents to visit the cafeteria, celebrate what’s great about school lunch, and learn how we can all work together to make it even better. Contact your student’s school to find out how they are celebrating.

The “School Lunch – What’s Cooking?” campaign is sponsored by the non-profit School Nutrition Association and the Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP) to highlight all the components of well-balanced school meals.

This school year, parents have a new way to join the conversation about school meals and learn more about what school cafeterias are serving across the nation. As students discover the healthy new choices in the lunch room, parents can explore interactive resources on Tray Talk, including a facebook page where parents can join a dialogue about the latest trends in school nutrition.

School cafeterias across the country are changing their recipes to make kid favorites healthy choices, and introducing tantalizing menu choices like Andover Public Schools’ homemade chicken pot pie over a whole-grain biscuit with oven-roasted butternut squash, cranberry sauce and cantaloupe; and Highline Public Schools’ beef barley stew, with a rosemary wheat roll, crunchy coleslaw and chilled pears.

But Tray Talk wants parents to do more than talk about how school meals are changing – parents should taste the difference too! Tray Talk’s new Recipes tab connects parents with a sampling of popular school meal recipes sized down for family portions. So this fall, be sure to peruse your student’s school menu, join your child for school lunch, and taste test a healthy new school recipe, like the Super Green Smoothie, made with fat free milk, spinach and fruit.

For instance, over 55% of responding school districts offer self-serve salad or produce bars. For students in a hurry, more schools are providing convenient grab-and-go options. Nearly 64% of districts offer pre-packaged salads and 67% offer packaged produce, like bags of baby carrots, grapes and sliced apples that students can eat on the run or toss in their backpacks for later.

Students in Manatee County Schools (FL) can
choose from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
including grab-and-go bags of cut produce.
Photo credit: Rick Brady, SNA

Schools have also taken steps to make kid favorites healthy choices. In 42% of responding school districts, pizza is the most popular lunch entrée served, but over 92% of districts are serving pizza with a whole-grain rich crust. Districts also report serving student favorites that are low-sodium, low-fat and reduced sugar.

Parents and teachers can support these healthy new meals: be sure to review the school menu, visit the cafeteria with your children, and encourage them to try new foods!