Building Healthy Habits, Healthy Schools

In conjunction with Denver Public Schools (DPS) and Get Smart Schools, a Colorado-based nonprofit, 8 JWU culinary nutrition students are using their expertise to create a healthier classroom.

Four students are working with DPS to revise the district’s menu options to emphasize local produce, healthier choices and cooking from scratch.

Four others are developing a customized curriculum to teach students about nutrition and healthy food choices. Sponsored by Get Smart, a local nonprofit, this pilot program is part of a districtwide initiative to improve academic success at schools serving low-income students in grades K-12.

"Lunchroom U"
The challenge: Many school lunch rooms aren’t set up to prepare food from scratch. Cafeteria staff needs training in proper food handling; in addition, kitchens need the most basic equipment, such as cutting boards, baking sheets, blenders and proper knives — even ovens.

In response, DPS is hosting Lunchroom U classes throughout the summer. For five weeks, food service employees will get a crash course in scratch cooking, as well as inventory control, safety procedures, presentation and garnishes.

Budgeting is another big hurdle for nutritionists, as Nicole Impero ‘10 discovered when she tried to combine two childhood favorites, tacos and pizza, into a healthful entrée.

Her first attempt was tasty, but 20 cents over budget. Repeated juggling of the ingredients brought the costs down to just 9 cents over budget; Impero is optimistic she can reduce that still further.

In addition to improving the quality of the food its students receive, DPS has been actively promoting nutrition-dense superfoods such as blueberries, kale, pumpkin and cabbage.

Making Nutrition Fun
Meanwhile, at seven high-poverty Denver-area schools, JWU interns are devising creative ways to teach students about nutrition. Strategies include cooking demonstrations, creating school gardens, or having students develop their own recipes.

At KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, physical education teacher Curt Slaughter has set aside the last 20 minutes of his 80-minute gym classes this spring to give Jordan Dennis '10 a chance to provide the teenagers with some in-depth nutrition counseling.

“I’m trying to get them to develop good habits, to keep a log of what they eat, how much they exercise. They’re always tracking their health,” said Slaughter. “Now Jordan is taking the core knowledge that I’ve given them and personalizing it.”

Dennis has her students developing a seven-day menu that fits their individual needs. “Fifty percent of their carbs need to come from whole grains, and they have to have five servings of fruit and vegetables every day,” she said. “I’m helping them not to just say ‘I’m hungry! What can I eat right now?’ but to plan.”

“It’s cool to see them questioning what they’re eating,” Slaughter said. “We’re teaching them the difference between being skinny and being healthy. ... I tell them, ‘When you go to college, no one is going to force you to work out or to eat right.’ So don’t just stay with pizza and nachos because that’s what you’ve been eating your whole life.”