School meals promote awareness of good nutrition
A new food policy has been
introduced to the Cayman Islands public schools this year, a measure introduced
by the Cayman Island Health Services Authority to teach young people how to
adopt and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.
Bethany Smith, community dietician
and nutritionist with HSA, prepared the standards for the new food provision.
Part of the new policy is to
identify the types of food that are no longer allowed or are restricted in
order to replace food high in fat, sugar and salt with more nutritious food and
drinks.
The policy also attempts to benefit
students by reducing the foods and beverages associated with child health and
nutritional issues, including obesity, diabetes and tooth decay and erosion.
The new school menus include
balanced meals containing good sources of protein and starch, accompanied by
lots of vegetables, salad and fruit.
Over the next 11 weeks, the Caymanian
Compass will take an in-depth look at each of the individual standards that
comprise the new food policy to better inform parents about the foods their
children are eating at school.
Starchy foods (staples and/or grains)
Starchy foods such as staples and
grains are needed in a child’s diet to provide energy and other nutrients from
complex carbohydrates. Starches also
help to reduce the amount of fat children eat.
The first standard is in place to
increase consumption of whole grains and fibre.
“The school food standards call for
at least one high-fibre or whole grain starchy food every day at lunch and
breakfast (if breakfast is also served),” Ms Smith said. Current dietary
guidelines also recommend that starchy foods form the basis of a healthy diet,
but with the recognition that not all starches are created equally.
The least processed foods are more
wholesome because they generally contain more fibre, vitamins, minerals, and
other health-promoting natural compounds that are removed during processing.
In processed starchy foods,
synthetic nutrients have to be added back to make up for some of the loss.
“Now at school, students can enjoy
brown rice, or whole wheat breads and tortilla wraps, based potatoes and sweet
potatoes as part of their lunch choices,” she said.
Other examples of whole grains
and/or high fibre starchy foods include whole oats, barley, Irish potatoes with
skin, green bananas, breadfruit and pumpkins.
Whole grains are a good source of B
vitamins, Vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fibre, as well as other valuable
antioxidants not found in some fruits and vegetables. Most of the antioxidants and vitamins are
found in the germ and the bran of a grain.
They are also good sources of
complex carbohydrates and naturally low in fat.
Studies have found that whole
grains reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing cholesterol levels, blood
pressure, and blood coagulation (clotting).
Whole grains have also been found
to reduce the risks of many types of cancer.
“Students will benefit from the energy,
vitamins, minerals and fibre in these foods,” Ms Smith said.
The American Heart Association
recommends that children ages 4-18 years eat 25-38 grams of fibre daily.
In addition to contributing to some
of the beneficial effects of whole grains, fibre also prevents constipation, a
common childhood problem.
Fibre has also been successfully
used in weight management strategies since it is more dense and bulky and
promotes feelings of fullness.
“These foods help to support their
heart health, and help to reduce their cancer risk by making this simple, easy
change.”
Coming soon: More fruits and vegetables
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