At the March PTO meeting, Suzanne Rostler, MS, RD, Clinical Director of Great Moves! gave parents a primer on optimal nutrition choices for our children.  She stressed healthy eating habits are key to maintaining healthy weight and ensuring proper growth and development of our children's growing bodies and brains. 
 
Suzanne began by introducing the basics of a healthy diet - protein for growth and development, fat to aid in absorption of vitamins and minerals and provide energy and carbohydrates to supply energy to both the body and brain.  Lack of all of these components as part of each meal or snack will put kids on a blood sugar roller coaster leading to experiencing low energy, impaired memory and fat storage.
 
A few basic principles Suzanne suggested, especially with the upcoming MCAS when we want to optimize our children's chances to be at their peak performance:

• Stick to "real" carbohydrates (high fiber, low sugar) instead of "fake" (low or no fiber and high sugar) -fresh fruit vs. a fruit roll up, for example.
• Pair "real" carbohydrates with a source of lean protein and a little bit of healthy fat to create a balanced meal or snack - whole grain tortilla chips and guacamole, whole wheat toast and eggs, whole wheat crackers and nut butter, string cheese and fruits and vegetables.
• Limit processed foods and sweets to after a balanced meal and keep portion sizes under control.
• An increase in the consumption of fruits, vegetables, fiber and calcium along with limiting or restricting soda, fried foods and trans fats can decrease risks for becoming overweight, suffering from depression and behavior problems.
• If you can't pronounce an ingredient's name or don't know what it is, don't buy it.
• She stressed the importance of a well balanced breakfast so we avoid the mid morning "crash" that can affect attention span, brain function and retention.
• We had a discussion about healthy snacks especially for MCAS. She suggested fresh fruit, cheese and perhaps whole wheat crackers.
• Read the ingredients list on packaged foods.  Ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity so the first items listed represent the highest quantity.  Be wary of sugars: sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maple syrup, honey, molasses, fruit juice concentrate. 

The slideshow that Suzanne used during her presentation can be found here.  Full minutes of the PTO meeting are here. 

Remember to RSVP for the International Potluck Dinner by returning the form that was sent home in your child's folder.  You can also RSVP by emailing burrwcf@gmail.com.  (please include your name, telephone, # of adults and # of kids attending).