http://www.chefann.com/blog/archives/1086 Chef Ann Cooper is a renegade lunch lady who works to transform cafeterias into culinary classrooms for students - one school lunch at a time. She brings you information to learn about the importance of changing the way America feeds its children. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:40:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://www.chefann.com/blog/archives/1086/comment-page-1#comment-215383 Nutrition Mom Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:33:52 +0000 http://www.chefann.com/blog/?p=1086#comment-215383 One way to help children and families understand the importance of your message is to teach children how to cook. Many families don't do this at home and school districts do not always have programs in school anymore. It's a shame we have replaced basic needs (cooking classes) with other classes. I think this would be another area to investigate. Teach about nutrition is great but actually doing it is really teaching. I see many schools have health programs but where is the actual cooking? Kids need to learn how to cook and prepare a meal not just talk about it. Coloring, worksheets, picture projects and group discussions are good introductions, but the hands on activities are what we need to teach in and out of schools. All the wonderful programs lack this key element so I hope this is food for thought. One way to help children and families understand the importance of your message is to teach children how to cook. Many families don’t do this at home and school districts do not always have programs in school anymore. It’s a shame we have replaced basic needs (cooking classes) with other classes. I think this would be another area to investigate. Teach about nutrition is great but actually doing it is really teaching. I see many schools have health programs but where is the actual cooking? Kids need to learn how to cook and prepare a meal not just talk about it. Coloring, worksheets, picture projects and group discussions are good introductions, but the hands on activities are what we need to teach in and out of schools. All the wonderful programs lack this key element so I hope this is food for thought.

]]> http://www.chefann.com/blog/archives/1086/comment-page-1#comment-215286 Jacqueline Gowe Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:00:33 +0000 http://www.chefann.com/blog/?p=1086#comment-215286 I am so with you. But what can we do as parents to help with making this change? I am on the environmental committee at our children's school and have taken on the task of trying to help improve the school lunches. Last week I had a meeting scheduled with the principal of our school. Instead I was met by the director of food services of the district, a district field service person and the manager of the school cafeteria. All the meeting was about was how this IS a healthy lunch, it is all usda approved food and meets federal guidelines. They were very defensive of their service and thought I was crazy for asking them to improve the quality of food served, cook from scratch or remove harmful foods. Basically they just stood by their positions and defended their roles in the whole chain of command that brings this horrible food to school children each day. Please help. I will continue to try to educate the parents at the school and send information to them about what the children are eating - but I realize that this is much bigger than our one school. I am so with you. But what can we do as parents to help with making this change? I am on the environmental committee at our children’s school and have taken on the task of trying to help improve the school lunches. Last week I had a meeting scheduled with the principal of our school. Instead I was met by the director of food services of the district, a district field service person and the manager of the school cafeteria. All the meeting was about was how this IS a healthy lunch, it is all usda approved food and meets federal guidelines. They were very defensive of their service and thought I was crazy for asking them to improve the quality of food served, cook from scratch or remove harmful foods. Basically they just stood by their positions and defended their roles in the whole chain of command that brings this horrible food to school children each day. Please help. I will continue to try to educate the parents at the school and send information to them about what the children are eating – but I realize that this is much bigger than our one school.

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