Better School Lunches: What Parents Should Know

Virtual Back to School Night: The School Day Just Got Healthier!

Join White House Chef Sam Kass, National PTA President Betsy Landers, Pew’s Kids’ Safe and Healthful Food Project, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this Thursday for a live discussion about the exciting new meals coming to school cafeterias near you! Thanks to one of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as ObamaCare, school lunches should be improved as part of the USDA updated nutrition standards for school meal for the first time in 17 years, As parents, it can be difficult to navigate what these changes mean and how you can support your kids and your school in making healthy choices

If you have questions about the new school meals, you can submit them in advance on the National PTA’s question submission pageor tweet them live by using the #SchoolFoodsRule. You can follow PTA and Pew on twitter at @NationalPTA and@JDonzeBlack_Pew.

To attend, tune in at 7:00 p.m. (EDT), Thursday, September 13, 2012 at www.pta.org/healthierschoolday

This conversation will be specifically targeted toward parents, but anyone interested in learning more about the new and improved school meals is welcome to tune in.

Speakers:

• Sam Kass, White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives
• Betsy Landers, National PTA President
• Jessica Donze Black, Director, Kid’s Safe and Healthful Foods Project, Pew Charitable Trusts
• Audrey Rowe, Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service, USDA

To learn more about how you can support the new school meals standards, visit:

• www.schoolfoods.org/back2school
• www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/healthierschoolday

Eating Out Holds Greater Promise for Better Health

Eating out just became less health challenging. Calorie contents of fast foods are becoming the norm nationwide with McDonald’s voluntarily agreeing to post nutrient information of menu items.

Virtual Back to School for Nutrition Night

After 17 years, the Affordable Care Act has prompted changes in school meal standards that require more fresh fruits and vegetables rather than processed, filling but nutritionally lacking foods. Learn more at this virtual back to school night.

Raise SAT/ACT Scores with a Sound Breakfast

Even more than another 15 minutes of sleep, your child needs a protein based breakfast to assure the best focus during tests — be it SATs, ACTs, Mid Terms, or a Final Exam.

For Families with Food Sensitivities Check out AllergyEats, a Free, Online Restaurant Rating Service

Don’t let food allergies cause undue stress when you want to eat out. Families faced with concerns about food allergies or intolerances can go to AllergyEats, a website that rates the responsiveness of 600,000 restaurants to customer requests for specific dietary requests.

Choosing the Right Cereal

Picking a nourishing, tasty and healthy cereal isn’t all that hard. Just stay away from cereals that are unnaturally colorful and full of sugar rather than nutritionally valuable ingredients, most notably fiber.

Best and Worst Fast Food Kids’ Meals

Children who eat lots of fast food are at greater risk for obesity, but you can choose healthier options at most fast food chains. The Rudd Center analyzed and ranked children’s fast food meals based on calories, salt and saturated fat.