With the new school year underway, we wish the school children a healthy and productive year! 

Academic performance is linked to having proper rest, getting proper nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle.  In McLean, school ratings are excellent and excellent food choices and nutrition for students is equally important. 

At Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), they believe “daily access to food and nutrition is essential for children to succeed and reach their full potential.”  

Nutrislice.com provides the list for the daily menu at Chesterbrook Elementary and other Fairfax County schools.  For every meal, two vegetables and one fruit is provided, including one milk.  

Carrying over healthy eating conversation with children at home is important for good overall balance.  Colorful snacking boards with a variety of fruit and vegetable for children is rewarding in visual appeal and healthy eating.  

Virginia offers delicious opportunities to finding good food with children such as:

• Our local grocery stores do an excellent job of arranging produce to be both easy to select and appealing. 
• Farmer’s markets are a fun way for children to understand farm to table and offers a chance for them to pick and choose fruits and vegetables.  Here is the list of Virginia farmer’s markets.  https://www.virginia.org/farmersmarkets/ 
• Fall in Virginia offers a great variety of orchards for apple picking and other fruits.  This blog has a list of best places for apple picking in Virginia.  https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/washington-dc/best-apple-picking-in-virginia-orchards

The CDC provides data about the links between healthy students and eating habits that supports proper nutrition for students such as these Core Messages:**

• Healthy students are better learners
  • Healthy students are better on all levels of academic achievement: academic performance, education behavior, and cognitive skills and attitudes.
• Schools can influence eating and physical activity behaviors
  • Students spend much of their time at school, and may eat as many as 2 out of 3 meals per day and may get much of their physical activity at school. 
• Healthy, successful students help build strong communities
  • Investing in the health of students contributes to healthy communities in the future.
• All students deserve the opportunity to be healthy and successful
  • Providing access to healthy foods and physical activity plays an important role in the academic achievement of students.

Resources

**Core Messages provided by CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/health-academic-achievement.pdf

Office of Food and Nutrition Services, FCPS – https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs

Nutrislice – Nutrislice is the link where you can check your child’s menu for the day or week at their school.  https://fcps.nutrislice.com/

Chesterbrook Elementary School Lunch Menu – https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menu/chesterbrook-elementary/lunch/2019-09-22