Originally published November 10 2005
Independent schools teaching nutrition through lunchtime options
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The National Association of Independent Schools is devising nutrition programs for members schools to educate children of all ages about health food options and the importance of a well-balanced diet.
With childhood obesity a national concern, many educators at the nation's independent schools are trying new approaches to teach the importance of nutrition.
The programs that many independent schools have developed to teach kids about nutrition and healthy living can serve as models for schools everywhere," says Patrick Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools.
For example, in 2002, Robert W. Surles arrived as head chef at Calhoun School, which educates students between the ages of three and 18 in New York City.
Leading a team of five chefs, Surles, known as Chef Bobo, oversees the creation of 10-day menu plans.
A typical Calhoun lunch consists of soup, sandwich, entr�e, side dishes, and salad.
Occasionally there is a sweet dessert, but mostly students are offered fruit.
It's a challenge to convince children to try new foods, but Chef Bobo educates while encouraging participation.
More American schools might follow Chef Bobo's example if they weren't wary of the expense of preparing unusual and high-quality foods.
But the chef says that delicious, healthy food doesn't have to be expensive.
While the production varies from small gardens to acres of crops, the schools benefit from the act of production as well as the produce.
For example, the Midland School in Los Olivos, CA has an eight-acre garden that yields more than enough food for the school.
Hampshire Country School, a boarding school in Rindge, NH, for middle-school boys, has just 25 students and focuses on "family-style" eating.
"The purpose is simply to provide a pleasant ending to a busy weekend and one more opportunity to share the fun and camaraderie of a boarding school community," says Bill Dickerman, Hampshire Country's headmaster.
All other meals are informal, but faculty and students still sit together at round tables.
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