March is National Nutrition Month. Probably no big deal to most people, but it should be...for a number of reasons. I had a bit of a wake up call earlier this month when it comes to the school lunch menu. Growing up, we had basically 3 choices: 1) Eat what the school cafeteria has for that day (only 1 choice); 2) Bring your lunch for home; 3) Don't eat...period. Starting this month, the school my son attends (the same one I attended) now offers choices at lunch every day. Honestly, I wasn't sure that was a great idea. Do kids really need 3 menu choices? After taking time to look the menu over, I had to agree that this was a good change. The menu items sounded pretty good and they were healthier options.
So why all the fuss over National Nutrition Month? Have you ever taken time to check what your kids eat? Most busy moms on the run serve whatever's quick and/or easy. There's nothing wrong with that, but ssometimes a little planning ahead before you head to the grocery store can make meal time less stressful and more nutritious to boot. There are some great recipes at www.midwestdairy.com along with tips and information if you need a little help. Believe me, I need all the help I can get! Since the time change, we seem to have pushed dinner time back here on the farm. It's only been a few days and I've already started the "I need a quick recipe" mode on a daily basis...and I don't even have any kids going to baseball practice after school!
The other wake-up call I had was today. I spent over an hour shopping with a couple of kids and their FFA advisor buying supplies for a backpack program. We filled 3 carts with food that will be sent home with children who might not have enough to eat on weekends. These kids usually get most of their meals at school (breakfast & lunch) but go without (for a variety of reasons) at home. It's a wonderful program that our county Farm Bureau decided to contribute to in honor of National Food Check-Out Week that was held in February. Snow and school closings postponed the shopping event and ironically our trip landed during National Ag Week. We were able to work with an FFA chapter and get the members involved not only in the shopping, but preparing the packs as well. It seems to be a win-win situation all the way around.
So Happy Ag Week and Nutrition Month from our farm to you!
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