The past few weeks in the Upper School sophomore nutrition class, students have been discussing foods for balanced nutrition and sources that satisfy the body’s needs. 

Exploring areas such as macronutrients, fiber, and hydration needs, students took a closer look at school lunch offerings.  Working with the USDA’s My Plate guidelines, students evaluated the school lunches noting the many options they have to fulfill protein, grain, fruit, vegetable, and dairy categories. 

From what is served as the main meal to the sandwich and panini bar to the salad bar as well as other options that help us meet individual dietary requirements, students realized they have many options that will meet their needs that are also appetizing.  The goal for students to be thoughtful about personal selections is aided by the fact lunch menus are available a week in advance. 

Below is a student submission highlighting their food choices from one day last week.  

Chicken Dumplings: I chose the chicken dumplings because of the protein and carbohydrates present in the food. The chicken would be my source of COMPLETE protein in my meal and the bread and sauce coating it would be the carbs. This food also had carrots, potatoes (starches), and peas. These are good sources of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants, and Vitamin A which were all present in this portion of the meal. The vegetables were also good sources of fiber.

The Bread: This seemed like a good source of carbohydrates (although it is made of simple carbs) and it looked like it was very satiating. Specifically, it is a starchy food. Starchy foods are generally the main source of calories for people which makes it very important. Some minerals in the bread are calcium, potassium, and iron. This is also another source of fiber, but only a little. This bread also has a relatively high caloric density. 

Grapes: The grapes are my fruit, to follow the suggested plate some fruit was needed. These were my fruits mainly because of how I like their taste. They are not very satiating and lack fiber; however, the grapes are rich in potassium, manganese, and vitamins B, C, and K. These grapes do not have much caloric density and I did not intend to get much energy from them.

Green Beans: I chose these green beans because I know they are good for you and they were required to complete the My Plate chart. Green beans are high in fiber along with being high in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K, and folate. Green beans are a form of complex carbs.

Thanks to Sodexo and our Dining Services team at Moravian Academy, students always have tasty options to create nutritionally balanced meals.