• The Dining Service Commitment
     
    North Allegheny School District is committed to wellness. Parents, students, and staff are working together to promote a healthier school environment. The District Wellness Committee has representation from all 12 schools. They are sharing ideas and helping to improve wellness throughout the District.

    This year Metz & Associates, the District's dining service provider, is implementing a themed promotion, "A Rainbow of Colors for Good Health." The cafeteria staff will be wearing new, colorful uniforms with messages such as "Boost Your Mood with Healthy Food" to encourage students to eat their fruits and vegetables. The cafeteria lines will be marketed with new colorful posters that support the new promotion.  Jennifer Reiser, RD, LDN plans to have students sampling fruits and vegetables each month from all the colors of the rainbow.  Students will learn about the importance of vitamins and minerals found in such foods.

    She also provides the District a variety of nutrition lessons that are taught in the classroom and wellness promotions in the cafeteria such as Guess the Foods Contest and Eat This, Not That.  She started a Student Dining Advisory Committee in the Middle and High Schools, where students are sampling new entrées that may be served in the cafeteria and they offer suggestions to improve the lunch and breakfast programs.

    The lunch program is introducing a new cycle menu in October, which will offer more daily vegetarian options for students.  The menu meets the USDA guidelines for Nutrient Standards.  More grab-and-go sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and salads will be available.  All snacks and ice cream sold during lunch contain less than 200 calories, <35% calories from fat, <10% calories from saturated fat, zero Transfat, and <35% of calories from sugar.