News

The Lunch Lady meals just got smarter!

We are excited to introduce the Lunch Lady ‘Smarter Meals’!  These meals are limited in sodium and fat, and are good sources of protein. All our meals at the Lunch Lady already meet provincial school guidelines— and the Smarter Meals meet criteria that go above and beyond:

SMARTER MEAL CRITERIA

Fat:         10g or less

Protein:   10g or more

Sodium:   720mg or less

Trans fat: 5% or less of total fat

Sweet Plum Chicken Breast Wrap with  a side Berry Cup

Cal: 360    Fat: 7g    Sod:520mg    Protein: 23g

We still offer all of your kids’ favourites, and we are hoping the Smarter Meals will become new favourites! We begin with the launch of five new Smarter Meals in participating schools, with more to come. See our menu for a list of options [link].This work is in collaboration with an exciting new initiative called Nourishing School Communities. Nourishing School Communities (NSC) is about inspiring healthy eating among school children—that means YOUR kids! Our partners include the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Farm to Cafeteria Canada, YMCA Canada, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, University of New Brunswick and Propel Centre for Population Health Impact. Let’s face it, kids spend a lot of hours in school, so what better place to teach them about healthy living and eating?

We want our kids to enjoy food, and we also want to show them that nutritious food can taste good! Studies show that when children are well nourished, they perform better at school. Having a healthy diet can influence important skills kids need to do well in school, like improved memory, problem solving skills, and creative abilities (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Position Statement: School and Nutrition, Aug 2013 at heartandstroke.ca. All the Lunch Lady Smarter Meals come with fruit or veggies, and the same great taste your kids expect and deserve. Top them up with water or lower fat plain milk and you will be doing your part to encourage healthy eating behaviors to support a lifetime of good health!  Nourishing Schools Communities is funded by the federal government through the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s (CPAC) Coalitions Linking Action & Science for Prevention (CLASP) program. Click here for more information about the Canadian Partnership against Cancer’s CLASP program [partnershipagainstcancer.ca]. Wishing your kids a school year of good grades, good nutrition and good times!

Devon Peart, MHSc., RD                                                   Ruthie Burd, Founder,

Registered Dietitian Consultant                                          The Lunch Lady Inc.