Child Nutrition February Newsletter

Happy February! Valentine's Day is right around the corner and we have some great surprises coming from our kitchens. On February 14th we will have fresh made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and Producers brought us strawberry milk as an option for the day! 

Just a reminder as we get ready to celebrate that outside food is not permitted to be brought into our classrooms for parties. Our Child Nutrition Department offers multiple different classroom party options for our students and we can feed the students for free. This ensures the kids are getting food that complies with our standards and we check to see if there are any special dietary or allergy needs that need to be checked.

Make sure to check out our menus online, we have some exciting new menu items on each of our menus. My favorite is coming up, the Build Your Own Frito Boat. I will definitely be out and about enjoying lunch with the students that day!

As I have said over and over, we cannot thank our staff, students and parents enough for their support and encouragement as we have been making changes. Your patience and feedback are very much appreciated, we hear you and we love to be a part of the conversation. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime with your ideas, concerns or feedback, I really enjoy sharing it back with my team. I hope everyone has a great month! 

Christy Wineman / Director of Child Nutrition

February marks American Heart Month, a perfect time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can ultimately save a life from the nation’s number one killer - heart disease. One great way to do this is by familiarizing yourself with the DASH healthy-eating plan. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, a straightforward way of saying it helps lower cholesterol and prevent or treat high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart disease.

The DASH diet emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods while minimizing high-sodium processed foods, sugar sweetened beverages, and foods high in saturated “bad” fats. The plan suggests eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products. These foods provide key nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein, and fiber which help regulate blood pressure and support cardiovascular health.

There are plenty of evidence-based reasons why the DASH eating plan was named “Best Heart-Healthy Diet” in the 2025 Best Diets report from U.S. News & World Report. It was also rated the second “Best Overall Diet,” “Best Diet for Healthy Eating,” and “Best Diet for Prediabetes.” What makes the DASH an award-winning eating plan is its flexibility. It’s not about strict rules but rather making small, sustainable changes. For example, swap salty snacks with fresh fruit or raw veggies, choose whole-grain bread over white bread, and use herbs and spices instead of salt for seasoning.

Let’s use this February as an opportunity to raise awareness and take steps toward building healthier habits for strong and vibrant hearts!

To find DASH-friendly recipes, visit https://healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov/

Keep healthy!

Dmitriy Tsoy, Registered Dietician / Nutrition Coordinator

Fourth-grade students at Pine Grove Elementary have been hard at work turning their nutrition knowledge into creative masterpieces! After learning about the importance of the different food groups and how they contribute to a healthy diet, the students channeled their new understanding into designing colorful posters. Each poster highlights the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy showcasing their artistic skills and understanding of balanced nutrition.

These vibrant creations will soon be laminated and proudly displayed in the school cafeteria. Not only will they brighten the space, but they’ll also serve as a daily reminder to make nutritious choices during mealtimes. It’s inspiring to see these young learners apply what they’ve learned in such an impactful and creative way!

Thank you Dmitriy for providing this important nutrition education for our students!

Students have been really enjoying building their own salads and lunches this school year. The salad bars are full of lots of fresh fruits, yummy vegetables and all the fixings for a delicious meal! Check out what students have plated for themselves.