During the 2007-2008 school year, the Food Services department plans to include nutritional information on foods served through the lunch program to assist you in your effort to make healthy food choices.|

Current Nutritional Information Data
General Nutritional Data Information

Elementary Lunch Program Allergy Data

If you have any questions about nutritional information, please contact Deb Stoops
at 248-341-5881.

Bloomfield Hills School District Wellness Policy
The Bloomfield Hills School district is committed to creating a healthy school environment that enhances the development of life-long wellness practices. BHS conducts regular reviews of the Wellness policy to determine its effectiveness.
       • Bloomfield Hills School District Wellness Policy.

Healthy School Lunch Initiatives

• A quality all beef kosher hot dog is purchased -- we did try serving turkey hot dogs; however, the students did not like the texture of this product .
• The deli bar - sandwiches are made with 99% fat free meats. A variety of vegetable
  choices are available for the toppings on the sandwiches.
• Mayonnaise is mixed with a small amount of yogurt to reduce the fat in the dressings that are used to prepare tuna, egg and chicken salad.
• Students really like foods that are made or assembled in front of them. There is a trust that the food is wholesome.
• A variety of Lamb Weston Potatoes are served in our school lunches -- these products contain "zero grams of trans fat".
• Currently, we are using the revised USDA recipes to reduce fat, sugar and salt content of the foods that are prepared.
  
• Low fat and skim milk are offered daily
• Lean ground beef is purchased.
• Elementary school tacos are made with ground turkey. Secondary and middle school tacos are made using 50% ground turkey and 50% ground beef.
• Fresh made soups are offered daily in middle and high Schools
• 100% low saturated soybean oil that, is grown and processed in Michigan, is used in the lunch program. This healthier selection of oil contains 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat
  and 0 milligrams of cholesterol.
• Ground turkey instead of ground beef is used in a lot of our entrees
• We offer a reduced fat chicken nugget.
• A variety of salads are offered daily in the middle schools and high schools and new salad choices will be added to the menu.
• "New Cool Salads" will be offered as a third entree choice for elementary lunch twice per week.
• Students are offered fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables vs. canned. We also use steam heat to cook vegetables.
• A larger selection of vegetarian items are offered-- veggie burgers, vegetable lasagna, spaghetti with marinara sauce, vegetarian soups, meat-less chili, veggie pizza, salads and sandwiches.
• More whole grain foods are being introduced and the food industry is also making changes to include more whole grains in their products.
• Reduced fat salad dressings are available.
• Fresh fruit or canned fruit with natural juice are offered along with 100% fruit juices.
• Healthy snacks are offered: yogurt, yogurt drinks, fruit bars, granola bars and baked chips.
• Presently we're looking at some new stir-fry recipes along with additional ethnic entrees.
• Our commitment to provide healthy food offerings is our goal:
  • 8 years ago we offered six items (fresh fruit, vegetables and salads) at an annual
    cost of $8,700.
  • Today we have expanded our offerings to more than 23 fruit and vegetable items with an annual cost of over $76,000.

Today's Nutrition Dilemma
There is no single cause for the rising number of over weight children. This problem has developed due to a long list of far-reaching environmental and social changes that affect virtually every aspect of our daily lives. We have separated some of these issues into three categories:

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

• One third of the children in the United States eat in fast food restaurants daily
• More packaged, pre-processed and convenience foods are consumed
• Super-sized portions
• Students are not consuming enough fruits, vegetables and milk
• Americans are eating more food every year
• By the time a child starts school -- research shows their eating habits are already firmly established and difficult to change.
• Sugar and refined flours
  • Increased sugar consumption
  • Refined flours have been stripped of vitamins, minerals and fiber
• Teens are a challenging group -- they are at the stage of growth and independence, where they view food as one of the few choices under their control
• Children model the nutritional behavior of their parents
• We live in a society of instant gratification -- with a lack of will power, when it comes to eating

IRREGULAR MEAL PATTERNS

• Fewer family meals are eaten together
• More meals and snacks are eaten outside of the home
• Fewer parents have time to cook
• 73% of households in the U.S. with school age children have either a single working parent or both parents working
• Parents have fewer cooking skills than the past generations
• Meals and snacks are eaten while watching TV
• Television has become a child-care provider for many parents who are over burdened with work responsibilities
• Children are feeding themselves after school with the use of frozen foods they can microwave

  DECREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Research has determined that students spend an average of five hours per day
  watching television.
• Electronic media, computers and games are sedate activities.
• Less physical activity during school
• Declining after school physical activity
• Use of motor transport vs walking or riding bikes
• Fewer "active" chores are given to kids

Nutrition FAQ's

• Why are feeding kids such a complex issue?
  Food preferences and what students eat are determined by many factors -- taste, culture, parental guidance, religious beliefs, social situations, media,ethnic backgrounds, psychological and physiological issues are just a few of the influences that effect food preferences.


• What is being done to make school lunches healthier?
  Food Services has made a concerted effort toward making our menu items healthier long before wellness policies were required. However, it has been a "covert ongoing operation for years to improve the nutritional content of our lunches".
  
  Elementary and middle school students generally do not want to know what the healthy food ingredients are in their lunch and typically they only eat foods they like. See our Healthy School Lunch Initiatives.
  


• How do you introduce new foods to children?
  Here are some pointers to remember when introducing new foods:
• Keep a relaxed attitude.
• Never insist that a child try a new food. Do not punish a child who refuses.
  
• Serve a new food several times so the children can become familiar with it.
• Start small. Serve a small portion of the new food.
• Serve a new food with a familiar food. Remember the balance between familiarity and variety.
• Eat the new food with them. Children will often eat foods they see familiar adults eating.
• Rather than ask if the children like a new food, ask them to describe how it tastes. Does it taste Salty? Sweet? Sour?

• What is the role of grain in a child's diet?
  
The answer to this question is both simple and "complex."
• Grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates, which are derived from plants.
• Grains contain B vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and other B vitamins.
• Grains provide much needed fiber in the diets of both children and adults.

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