Raising Healthy Kids: Empowering Parents for Nutritional Change in Montgomery County Schools

1. A grassroots parent and student advocacy group working for whole, real, local, sustainable and nutrient-rich foods in the Montgomery County Public Schools.

2. RFKM Background • Started October 1, 2012 through a meeting of 2 concerned parents, Karen Devitt and Lindsey Parsons. • RFKM has grown to include parents from every regular MCPSschool with over 5700 supporters as of July 2018 • RFKM board includes 2 MCPS high school students

3. Why improve the food? • Many students consume more than half of their daily calories at school (universal, free breakfast in the classroom in 80 schools, after school suppers and snacks) • To stop having to make lunches • 21% of MCPS students are overweight or obese (up 1% from previous year) • Studies show healthier school food increases test scores (4% overall; 6% for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs)-eligible kids)

4. School Breakfast • Sugary entrees 3/5 days/week • Chocolate or skim/low-fat white milk (5:1) • Fruit (often Craisins) • Juice (4 oz./ 100% juice)

5. School Lunch

7. RFKM Empowers Parents and Schools to Cut the Junk Food and Serve Healthier Options • Healthier Fundraisers • Healthier Classroom Snacks and Parties • Healthier Classroom Rewards • Healthier a la Carte and Vending • Installation of Salad Bars

8. Healthier Classroom Parties • Non-Food Party Ideas • Healthy Party Plan • Serve one sweet snack along with healthier foods • Serve water as the beverage • Get teacher/room parent on board • Create sign-up with defined options to guide parents

9. Healthy Party Snacks Can Be Fun and Yummy!

10. Alternatives to Using Food as a Reward in the Classroom • Zero Cost Alternatives • Sit by friends • Watch a video • Read outdoors • Extra art or recess • Computer games • Homework pass • Listen to music • Walk with teacher during lunch • Eat lunch outside • Be a helper in another classroom • Earn play money for privileges • Free choice activities • Follow the leader around the school • Brain Breaks using Go Noodle • Low Cost Alternatives • Select a book • Drawing for donated prizes • Trip to treasure box • Stickers, pencils, erasers, etc. • Set of flash cards • Mystery pack (notepad, cards, etc.) Did You Know…MCPS Wellness Policystates: “It is encouraged that foods and beverages available to students during school-sponsored activities make a positive contribution to the students’ diet and promote health. Staff should avoid using candy or other foods of minimal nutritional value as a classroom reward.”

11. Resources for Parents and Teachers (on RFKM web site) • RFKM Healthier Party Plan • RFKM Healthier Snack Tips • Non Food Classroom Party Ideas • Alternatives to Rewarding Kids with Food • Water Bottle Promotion Flyer • Healthy Fundraising Ideas

12. Should Our PTA Take the Pledge? RFKM Healthy Kids PTA Pledge • We will choose fundraisers that promote healthy eating and physical activity for children. • We will ask our parents organizing parties and events to follow the RFKM healthier party plan: • Serve healthy foods first • Serve only one treat after healthy foods are offered • Serve fruit and vegetables at pizza parties • We will ask our parents to serve water instead of sugar- sweetened beverages at PTA-sponsored events and fundraisers.

13. A La Carte Foods in MCPS • Little known fact: Daily during lunch, most MCPS schools sell snack foods, knows as a la carte items, such as ice cream bars, chips, cookies and gummy fruit snacks. • Even lesser known fact: • Every principal has the power to eliminate the sale of a la carte items and/or choose healthier items. • Parents are able to restrict student a la carte purchases by contacting the school cafeteria.

14. Salad Bars • Many MCPS elementary schools have salad bars • Best Practices: • Salad Bar 1st • Include cut up fruits • All food except hot entrée on salad bar • Cafeteria staff minding salad bar

15. 10 Steps to Making Changes in Your Cafeteria • Form a wellness committee • Visit the cafeteria at lunch time • Educate parents about what you found • Survey parents • Report results • Decide on asks

16. 10 Steps to Making Changes in Your Cafeteria • Propose specific changes to principal • Principal requests changes • Communicate changes to parents • Monitor changes • Items eliminated at one school: • Welch’s Fruit Snacks • Rich’s Ice Cream Bars • Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars • Cheez-its Crackers • Pepperidge Farms Flavored Goldfish • Doritos and Cheetos • Items added at one school: • String cheese • Pop chips • Vanilla and chocolate ice cream cups once a week • Yogurt

17. RFKM Accomplishments • A la carte sales and account blocking mentioned on menus in elementary schools and on MCPS web site (June 2013) • Delay in vending sales of soda and candy to 30 minutes after end of school day (fall 2013) • Removal of strawberry milk (January 2014) • Free bottles of water given to elementary school children buying lunch (fall 2014) • Certain chemicals, including several food dyes, forbidden in future food contracts (fall 2014)

18. RFKM Accomplishments • MCPS Wellness Regulation amended to prohibit aspartame and acesulfame potassiumin products sold during the school day(November 2015) • MCPS Forms district-wide Wellness Committee on which RFKM has a seat (fall 2015) • MCPS replaces Cheetos and Doritos and ice creams with cleaner label a la carte optionswithout food dyes (fall 2016; fall 2017) • MCPS announces all artificial colors will be forbidden in future food contracts (winter 2018) • MCPS reduces pizza in elementary schools from twice to once a week (spring 2018)

19. How can you help RFKM? • Form/join a wellness committee at your school • Serve as a representative or co-representative for your school • Join RFKM by giving us your name and e-mail address • Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter • Inquire about joining our Board of Directors or Advisory Board • Donate or become a sustainer

20. Contact RFKM for More Resources and Information • realfoodforkidsmontgomery.org • healthyschoolfoodmd.org • Facebook Page: RealFoodforKidsMontgomery • Twitter: @realfoodMCPS • Email: realfoodMCPS@gmail.com • Phone: 301-202-4812