We provide young minds and young bodies the fuel to grow, and to prepare for the day and the future ahead of them. Healthy eating is the requirement for children's energy needs for growth, development, and activity. We believe that all children should have access to healthy fresh food on a daily basis.

Our goal is to support balanced nutrition, expand children's taste for acceptable food choices, and foster appreciation for food from different cultures. We offer healthy versions of American favorites and favorite recipes from around the world.

We have seen healthy diet changes, with kids eating more salads and more vegetables. Although some kids may take time, most are more likely to try new foods when they eat with other children. And these habits often follow them into young adulthood.

Choosing a lunch at school may be first time children get to choose the foods they will eat. We create child friendly menus that focus on taste and nutrition. We don't offer unhealthy choices, so everything they can choose from will benefit their health. That is a good thing, considering that American children are now getting an average of 50% of calories from added fat and sugar. We like to use school lunches to steer kids into making good choices.

We encourage and support recycling, organic gardening and conservation principles in schools.

Every child's education should include healthy eating and learning about nutritious foods. We believe that parents can help too, especially with younger kids, by:

• explaining that nutritious foods give energy for the school day,
• looking at food choices and menus together,
• choosing lean meats, or whole grains instead of white breads,
• including fruit and vegetables,
• avoiding fried foods for most meals, and
• choosing milk or water instead of high sugar juice or soda.