The Oliver Foundation has received a $193,000.00 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) through its "Healthy Kids, Healthy Families" initiative. 

According to Deborah L. Woehler MS, RD, LD, Executive Director of the Oliver Foundation. "Because of our commitment to teach kids and families to Make Healthy Choices for Life!, we are now partnering with BCBSTX, in the prevention of childhood obesity."

"We're proud to give our support to the Oliver Foundation as a Healthy Kids, Healthy Families partner." said Debbie Cox community affairs manager for BCBSTX.  "Through the Oliver Foundation's work, we expect to see measurable improvement in children's health by the implementation of their  "STOP 2048" program at YES Prep Public Schools, Southeast campus."  The program is a structured accredited class teaching health, nutrition and physical activity daily to the students.  It also incorporates a mentoring aspect for the seventh graders in the class.  Senior students are the mentors in the classroom and on the athletic field.  The overall goal is both the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity through education and physical activity not only at school, but with "take home" skills.

According to the Oliver Foundation Executive Director, "The Healthy Kids, Healthy Families grant has made it possible to expand our "STOP 2048 - Training Health Leaders for Today and Tomorrow" at YES Prep Public Schools in communities where health, nutrition and physical activity education are most needed.  We know from working with the students at YES, through our evidence based program, that we can make a lifelong, sustainable positive health modifications which will enable these students to perform better in school and become healthy, productive adults ready to teach the next generation how to be healthy."

The Oliver Foundation with Baylor College of Medicine has had significant success with their "STOP 2048" mentor educational program with the predominately Hispanic student population at this campus.

"Healthy Kids, Healthy Families" is a three-year initiative designed to encourage health education, promote physical activity, prevent and manage disease and support safe environments for children.  The program works through investments and partnerships with nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children directly, through schools and other third parties.

On July 1, 2012 new school meal nutrition standards went into effect.  These tough new federal nutrition standards ensure that meals are healthy and well-balanced and provide students all the nutrition they need to succeed at school.

School meals offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins and grains; and they must meet strict limits on saturated fat and portion size.  Starting in School Year 2012-2013, school lunches will meet additional standards requiring:

• Age appropriate calorie limits
• Larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must take at lease one serving of produce)
• A wider variety of vegetables, including dark green and red/orange vegetables and legumes
• Fat-free or 1% milk (flavored milk must be fat-free)
• More whole grains (within two years, all grains offered must be whole-grain rich).
• And less sodium

Be sure to encourage your kids to choose school lunch.  And get in touch with your school district's Child Nutrition department for additional information about the exciting new changes to school meals.

Resource: School Nutrition Association, www.schoolnutrition.org  

 

• Include your child in grocery shopping; you can learn about their favorite fruit and veggie choices
• Encourage your child to pack their own healthy lunch, with supervision, until they get it right every time.
• Choose healthy low-fat or fat-free dairy choices.  Remember to keep milk choices at the proper temperature.
• Choose 100% whole wheat bread for sandwiches.
• Add veggies to the lunchbox.  Fill a sandwich bag with baby carrots, celery sticks or colorful pepper slices.
• Include at least one serving of fruit in every lunch. Whole fruit such as pears, bananas, oranges and apples are a great choice.  Canned fruit packed in 100% fruit choice is a good choice too.
• Limit desserts and high fat choices.Even low-fat choices should be limited, due to low nutrition value.
• Portion size is key to a healthy lunch.  You can overeat a healthy item too!  Pack kid-size portions.

• How will they accomplish those recommendations?
• What will be difficult and easy about following the healthy message?
• Why do they think it's important to follow that message?
  Students can present their message as a written piece, poster or powerpoint presentation.
   
  Looking for more nutrition integrated lessons?  Go to the Oliver Kids Manual where you'll find 50+ lessons.