The Dixie District Wellness Committee is composed of one teacher representative and one parent representative from each site, in addition to the Director of Educational Services and the District nurse. The committee meets each month to discuss student, staff, and parent wellness.

 The Wellness Committee has established a wellness policy and associated regulations designed to promote student health and wellness by reducing the risk of obesity and chronic disease. The policy is designed in response to Federal requirements associated with the Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization act of 2004.

 The Wellness Policy includes three components to support health and wellness:

1. Food choices available to students during the school day

2. Physical education during the school day

3. Nutrition and health education integrated into the curriculum

 The goal is to help our students make informed choices about the foods they chose to eat, experience the pleasure of physical activity, and foster the active support of our families and community.

 The Wellness Committee has worked with parents and staff in an effort to define nutrition standards for the school year that promote health while providing students with a wide variety of choices during daily lunch service, and classroom celebrations. Each school menu has been reviewed and modified to comply with the standards. All classroom celebrations are asked to comply as well.

 The Wellness Committee encourages families to pack snack and lunch items consistent with the nutrition standards. In addition, the Wellness Committee will regularly provide educational materials with useful examples through school websites, handouts and parent/community meetings.

GUIDELINES AND HEALTHY SNACK SUGGESTIONS
 

Guidelines

These guidelines and examples are practical approaches to complying with the new nutrition standards.  In addition, the standards include the following details which were used when modifying the school menus and need to be considered when planning classroom celebrations.

Individual foods and full meals must be limited to:

• Not more than 35 percent of the total calories of the food item, excluding nuts and seeds is from fat

• Not more than 10 percent of the food item’s total calories is from saturated fat

• Not more than 35 percent of the total weight of the food item, excluding fruits or vegetables, is composed of sugar

Beverages:

• Water

• Low-fat, or non-fat milk and non-dairy milk beverages including, chocolate milk, soy milk, rice milk

•  Fruit and vegetable drinks with a minimum of 50% real fruit or vegetable juice with no added sweeteners

• Electrolyte replacement beverages with a maximum of 22 gms of carbohydrate and no larger than a 12 oz serving

Fruits and Vegetables:

• All fresh fruits and vegetables

• Dried fruits and vegetables without added sugar

• Canned fruits and vegetables

• Baked, but not fried fruits and vegetables

Starches:

• breads, tortillas, and  bagels 

• rice, and pasta

• crackers, pretzels, baked chips

Meat, poultry, fish, nuts and legumes:

• turkey, ham, and beef

• tofu, peanut butter

• nut butters

Suggested Snacks and Celebratory Foods

The following foods are consistent with the Wellness Council’s nutrition standards.  This is by no means a complete list, use your imagination, modify current recipes and combinations, try new grocery items, surf the web and browse cookbooks.  More detailed menu ideas and complete recipes will be made available throughout the year.

Savory Snacks and Meals:

☺ bread sticks or pretzels w/mustard or other dips

☺ open face sandwiches using cut vegetables to make faces or others designs, students can build these themselves in class

☺ baked pita chips or bread w/ hummas

☺ baked tortilla chips with salsa

☺ peanut butter pretzels

☺ popcorn, try various seasoning or parmesan cheese

☺ pizza bagels, try mini bagels for snacks

Sweet Treats and Dessert:

☼ baked apple ring with cinnamon

☼ low fat pudding

☼ 100 % frozen fruit bars, homemade or purchased

☼ low fat hot cocoa

☼ banana, carrot or zucchini muffins

☼ yogurt and fruit parfait, students can build these in class

☼ angel food cake with fruit topping

☼ fruit cobblers

Oat and Nut Crunch Mix

Prep: 10 minutes                       bake: 20 minutes           cool: 30 minutes

Oven: 300° F               Makes: 20 servings (5 cups)

4 cups sweetened oat square cereal

½ cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

½ teaspoon apple pie spice

Dash salt

1 cup dried cherries and/or raisins

1. In a 15x10x1 – inch baking pan combine cereal and almonds.  In a small bowl stir together melted butter, apple pie spice, and salt.  Drizzle butter mixture over cereal mixture, toss to coat.

2. Bake in a 300° oven about 20 minutes or until almonds are toasted, stirring once during baking.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.  Stir in dried cherries.  Cool completely.  Store in tightly covered container at room temperature up to a week.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 83 calories, 3 gm total fat (1 gm saturated fat), 12 gm carbohydrates, 1 gm fiber, 2 gm protein