A quick SFT update is featured on the Food Revolution page:
Check it out and while you’re there, learn how to get involved!
“Wait. Have we met you before?”, asks one sixth grader as his class settles into the outdoor classroom benches at a Santa Barbara area elementary school.
“Nope. I’m the crazy bike lady. I rode over 1,000 miles just to come here and talk to YOU!”, I reply. A few other students tune in. Immediately, I have their attention. This is a condensed presentation so after a quick overview of my route, program and mission, the floor opens up for Q&A. Hands are timid to start, but soon the class is peppering me with questions, including such gems as:
We wrap up and head into the garden where the students are soon busy carefully planting lettuce & bok choy in slightly crooked rows. I connect with the Principal and she fills me in on their many school lunch successes. Check out a portion of the list below:
I ask her what the turning point was for their school. “It was just time. We wrote a wellness policy, got specific, and stuck to it. A combination of motivated food services personnel, student education, family involvement & staff buy-in were all key pieces.”
This principal also encourages all the students to create a “Party on their plate” by placing the salad in the middle of a segmented tray rather than sequestering all those fresh veggies on the sidelines. She guesses that 25% of students are now “partying” on their plates. Kudos to everyone involved in making healthy changes at this school!
Posted in SFT
Tagged Elementary school, Santa Barbara California, School Lunch, School meal
An April 2010 article in the American Journal of Public Health examined the relationship between a school-based obesity prevention program and academic performance. The study evaluated the effects of the HOPS program on 1,197 students who qualified for free and reduced lunch. HOPS (Healthier Options for Public Schoolchildren) included a dietary component that provided students with healthier school food options. Physical activity was also a part of the intervention.
Results indicated that students participating in HOPS performed better on math tests than students in the control group. Although this difference cannot be attributed directly to the HOPS program, these results add to the growing bulk of evidence that connects healthy eating to physical and mental performance.
Source: Hollar, et al. (2010). Effect of a two year obesity prevention intervention on percentile changes in body mass index and academic performance in low-income elementary school children. The American Journal of Public Health, 100(4), 646-653.
Posted in News
Tagged American Journal of Public Health, Body mass index, Health, Obesity, Physical Activity, School Lunch
The CDC has a really neat new resource available for use: a map that details food access nationwide. The county-by-county data allow users to gain some perspective on population demographics and health stats such as food insecurity, NSLP (Nat’l School Lunch Prog) participants and physical activity levels. This comprehensive tool is user-friendly and a valuable addition to the public health knowledge base. Check it out!
The School Food Tour began as a 5,000+ mile self-supported bicycle tour to inspire and energize students and communities to create healthier school environments. Along her route, Sara gathered best practices in school food, educational gardens and food policy. The SFT will soon expand to include additional riders covering more regions of the country. Stay tuned!
Current location: Houghton, MI (Made it!)
Mileage count: 5,200 miles
here to help with Tour expenses.
Sara is pedaling as a 
athlete. Visit her athlete page to join her in the fight against cancer.
Thank you for your support!
