Sodexho boosts support for classroom nutrition education

Sodexho School Svcs. is bringing nutrition education straight from the cafeteria to the classroom, with instruction coming from foodservice professionals and a series of coloring books exploring food groups, diet and the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid.

Two four-week pilot programs launched last month during Natl. School Lunch Week (Oct. 15-19): in Geneva (IL) School Dist., where 2,500 third-graders heard an Olympic judo ace relate healthy eating habits and athletic prowess; and Santa Rosa Cty. (FL) School Dist.

Going to class: Sodexho manages foodservice in both locations, and unit managers are interacting with teachers and administrators to impart nutrition awareness and improve eating habits. Here's how:

Students in participating classes each receive the "Pyramid Pal's Adventures in Eating" seven-book set, which presents dietary recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid in a "simple, storybook rhyming format." It's in keeping with how USDA established the theme of this year's Natl. School Lunch Week promotion—"School Lunch: By the Book"—as stressing the importance of nutrition education.

Pyramid Pal volumes feature characters such as Ashley Asparagus, Ryan Raisin, Luke Lunch Meat, Yolanda Yogurt, Sara Soft Drink and others who point out the good—and bad—qualities of various foods kids will encounter in home, school or snack meals.

Sodexho School Svcs. staff members distributed the books to the students (a total of 7,500 in 40 schools between the two districts) and spent time relating them to the school lunch menu, discussing students' food choices and the first book—"The Beginning"—which generalizes sound nutritional and dietary intake. The other titles are: Milk, Vegetables, Grains, Meat/Poultry/Fish, Fruits and Sweets.

Students receive the books in coloring book format (while teachers get the colored version), and are encouraged to color-in, say, Ashley Asparagus and Craig Carrot about to dive into a pot of soup; or Courtney Cupcake and Callie Candy pointing out how good they taste—which is balanced by the book's message that small amounts of these foods "are your very best plan."

Extending reach: Authors Susan Norton and Susan Dawson created the books last year, in effort to point out high incidences of obesity in children across the country and to provide a simple, colorful and fun method of "reaching" kids on the subject of healthy eating.

The books received rave reviews at the time of their release, and even drew praise from Shirley Watkins, former USDA under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer svcs. "I know they will be enormously helpful in educating children about good nutrition," she wrote to Dawson in Sept. 2000.

The books also caught the attention of Sue Niemczyk, Sodexho's School Svcs. dist. mgr. in the Chicago area. She worked with the authors as well as higher-level Sodexho officials to make the program a reality.

If students in Geneva and Santa Rosa grasp the concept of achieving balance in their diets, then Sodexho officials will have achieved their goal, suggests Tom Callahan, senior vice pres. of marketing and development in the contractor's School Svcs. Div.

Key message: "Teachers say they're under-resourced, in terms of time and materials," he points out. "Going into the classroom to deliver the training is a good starting point to deliver an effective nutrition education program. The key message that we want to promote is that balance and good judgment will make for healthier consumption habits."

Sodexho hopes to have the Pyramid Pal program available to all of its elementary school clients by next March.

But will the books and some instructional information effect drastic changes in eating habits? Callahan notes that the target audience—elementary school students—are fairly alert when it comes to nutrition and differ from high school and even junior high students in their consumption patterns. "We don't expect to see a tremendous change in consumption patterns," he says.

Depending on how well students accept—and implement—the information, there could be some impact on what Sodexho school cafeterias will serve. "Menus we develop will always be responsive to customer trends," Callahan states. "But we already have a good number of nutritious menu options available."

Vendor interest: Like many other school-based nutritional programs underway in the market today, Sodexho's implementation of Pyramid Pal books has a food manufacturing community element. Several companies—Fernando's Fine Foods, Dannon, General Mills, Gardenburger and Norpac—sponsor the distribution of the books, which sport company logos on the last page (also where the Food Guide Pyramid itself appears in every book).

"We anticipate vendor interest to grow," Callahan predicts. "They're looking for ways to communicate with parents. There is no advertising in any of these materials, but we are allowing for some sponsorship."