From Elizabeth Ewing, School Nutrition Program Manager
Greetings from the School Nutrition Program. It’s been a wonderful first semester at our MTCA/NDAA schools and I’m pleased to share with you what our schools have been up to. We’ve made some exciting changes and our most important customers, our students, have been “eating it up”!
The biggest change is a transition from being a “served” program to an “offer” program. Our cafeteria staff is now equipped with the tools that allow students to make choices for themselves as they progress through our meal service line. Students can choose between a salad, cold sandwich, or hot entrée each day, and pick from a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables to complete their meal. They may round out their tray with an ice-cold carton of milk. Because the students can choose the components for their meals, no two trays may look the same. This is a fantastic opportunity for our students for two main reasons. First, our students are empowered to make healthy choices for themselves which helps to develop healthy decision-making skills when deciding what is right for their bodies. Second, when students can choose what they want to eat, they are more likely to eat it. Less food in the garbage means we are being good stewards of God’s gift. Of course, our students are simply excited to make “grown up” choices for themselves from an array of food that is artfully displayed by our hard-working cafeteria staff! It’s a win-win!
I look forward to providing a focus on conservation efforts and sustainability in the spring semester. We are looking for ways to reduce our use of “consumables” or single use items. While safety, sanitation, and nutrition are our top priorities, we are slowly making changes that reflect our love and respect for our planet. I am continually amazed at how receptive our students are to being good stewards of the world around them: “Mrs. Ewing, I don’t need a milk straw if it means the sea turtles can be safe!”. I’m so proud of these young people!
Many thanks to all who have welcomed me to the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies. Your support of our Nutrition Program is invaluable and I’m very blessed to be in a position where I can make a difference to our students every day. I wish each of you God’s blessings in this new year. If you find yourself in our neighborhood, reach out! I’d love to meet you for lunch.
Peace, love, and happiness in the new year.