Every child deserves to be served a quality lunch at school, but sadly for many kids in America, that’s not necessarily the case.
The good news is, organizations and businesses are working hard to change that.
In our area, specifically, Healthy Living Market is making the initiative to redefine school lunch at Saratoga Independent School, with a new and unique partnership.
The new menu offered at the school includes “healthy entrees like veggie burgers, sweet potato and black bean burritos and fresh fruit and veggies with every meal, as well as organic and nutritious snacks such as Kind Bars, Wallaby Organic Yogurt, fair trade organic bananas and apples with cinnamon.“
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the open house last week to taste some of the new meals that students will be served, but if it’s anything like what they offer at the Healthy Living Market Cafe, they’re in great hands.
Here’s a look at the press release for more info:
HEALTHY LIVING REDEFINES THE SCHOOL LUNCH AT
SARATOGA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL
Natural Foods Grocery Store and Private School Partner Up to Teach Students Better Eating Habits With a More Balanced Lunch Menu and Snacks Straight From the Store Shelves
Saratoga Springs, New York (September 16, 2015)– Healthy Living Market and Cafe continues to make a difference in the way its community eats and thinks about food with the launch of a new, innovative, and healthier lunch program at Saratoga Independent School. Executive Chef Matt Buley and the team at Healthy Living have been working closely with the school’s kitchen staff to sponsor the entire program which means providing all of the food and snacks for the new menu made up of delicious and nutritious lunches geared with kids’ tastes in mind. Launching this week, the madeover menu will now include healthy entrees like veggie burgers, sweet potato and black bean burritos and fresh fruit and veggies with every meal, as well as organic and nutritious snacks such as Kind Bars, Wallaby Organic Yogurt, fair trade organic bananas and apples with cinnamon.
“School lunch is in a tail spin all over the country. Slashed budgets and bad food are what most kids are eating, despite America being the richest nation in the world. We are partnering up with Saratoga Independent School to turn this negative trend around,” said Eli Lesser-Goldsmith, Healthy Living’s Owner. “I am so proud of the effort to educate and empower the school’s staff with a menu of easy to prepare meals that are healthy, nutritious and affordable. Kids eating right during the day is key to a highly functional mind and body, and this program aims to do just that.”
Saratoga Independent School, which is known for its unique and innovative educational programs had been looking for a partner to collaborate with on a new menu and felt that Healthy Living was a strong fit given their dedication to food education, family and kids’ health and the local community. Given that both are in located in the Saratoga area, it was an obvious choice to have the two come together to redefine the school lunch.
The school’s Director, Felice Karlitzties, ties this initiative back to their motto. “Healthy food choices are an extension of our school’s motto: to take care of ourselves, each other, our school and our community,” said Karlizties. “Adopting a new approach to planning, sourcing, and preparing our school lunches will enable students the opportunity to make healthy choices while at school.”
2 Comments
Wouldn’t this be even better if it was being done at Saratoga City Schools…a public school district, rather than a private school???? I applaud Saratoga Independent and Healthy Living in their collaborative effort to better student’s nutrition, but if we could introduce this into the public schools more kids that actually need to eat healthier would benefit.
It would be interesting to know the price of these meals for the students/parents. Then maybe we would better understand why these meals are being offered at a private school as opposed to a large school district of families from different income brackets.