HRNEWS
Magazine    Revista

FOR: NATURE'S ONE

AUG 15, 2012 - 06:00 ET

Denver Is Leading the Field Regarding the Improvement of School Lunch Offerings, Creating Healthier Meals That Are Prepared From Scratch; Nature's One(R) Applauds the Efforts of the City and Hopes That Others Follow in Its Wake

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - August 15, 2012) - The debate over the health of school lunches has raged for many years. Finally, the Department of Agriculture has improved standards regarding school meals. Largely led by first lady Michelle Obama, as well as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the updates in federal nutrition standards are expected to improve the health of America's youth. The Huffington Post reports that Denver, Colorado, has taken the lead on this initiative by creating a new public school menu. Nature's One, a leader in organic pediatric nutrition, believes that this is a positive kickoff to a very important change in federal expectations.

At the annual School Nutrition Association Conference, school chefs and food service workers gathered to discuss how to meet the updated nutrition standards. These guidelines limit calories and sodium, expand fruit and vegetable offerings, require that all milk be low-fat or fat-free, and incorporate whole grains into every meal.

To meet these guidelines, many schools have opted to cook meals from scratch. In this way, they have more control over the nutritional value and can choose recipes that best fit students' dietary needs. Salad, fruit, and vegetable bars are also being implemented in many schools.

Nature's One believes that these efforts are a step in the right direction regarding the needs of healthy students. By offering nutritional school lunches, educators can improve not only the diet, but the performance of their pupils.

"I fully support this effort of schools to locally source ingredients from farms, while increasing the grains, fruits, and vegetables that are offered to students. Many school lunches are full of additives and preservatives, and extra fat and calories that no child needs," comments Nature's One CEO Jay Highman. "As the leader in organic medical nutrition, we are fully committed to offering the highest possible nutrition to children. We know, from multiple published studies, that proper nutrition for breakfast and lunch helps kids perform better in the classroom and, ultimately, build a higher degree of confidence in their evolving talents. I can only hope that other school districts follow Denver's lead -- and soon."

Nature's One looks forward to seeing how the rest of the industry adjusts to these new nutritional standards.

ABOUT:

Nature's One was founded in 1997. A pioneer in the efforts to create organic baby formula, Nature's One is known for its Baby's Only Organic^® Formulas, Baby's Only Organic^® Essentials, PediaSmart^® Organic Complete Nutrition Beverage, and PediaVance^® Organic Electrolyte Maintenance Solution brands. For 15 years, Nature's One has invested its resources into the research and development required to create quality products that provide organic, nutritional solutions to parents.