Chartwells Healthy Choice option with Balance Choices!

Chartwells is committed to making healthy food choices available to all students in the communities we serve.  We have always been able to meet or exceed federal nutrition standards, yet this program takes it further. 

Balanced Choices increases the better-for-you snacks, beverages and meals available in both elementary and secondary schools and, equally important, educates students on how to identify foods that are truly healthy, rather than appear to be healthy.

Balanced Choices Meal Parameters:

• No more than 200 total calories
• No more than 35% calories from fat per package
• No more than 10% calories from saturated fat per package
• No more than 35% sugar by weight per package (excluding whole foods).
• No more than 480 mg sodium per package

At a minimum, 20 percent of snacks and beverages in Chartwells schools will fit our Balanced Choices parameters.  Posters, tags and stickers make it easy for students to identify these healthy choices.

BETTER-FOR-YOU SNACKS, including baked chips, pretzels, cereal bars and yogurts, must meet these parameters:

• No more than 200 total calories per package
• No more than 35 percent calories from fat per package
• No more than 10 percent calories from saturated fat per package
• No more than 35 percent sugar by weight per package
• No more than 480 mg sodium per package


BETTER-FOR-YOU BEVERAGES, including low fat milk, 100 percent juice, bottled water and flavored water without any added sugar.  Beverages must meet these parameters:

• 100 percent fruit and vegetable juice limited to 12 oz portion
• Fat free and 1 percent milk products, 8-16 oz portion size
• Beverages must be caffeine free except flavored milk

Each meal meets precise nutritional parameters and is highlighted on each serving line.  This meal program goes beyond the USDA meal requirements because it provides the recommended nutrients in a single meal instead of an average of all meals served in one week.

 Chartwells 10-Minute Nutrition Lessons Plans

Grades K-3
September - October - November - December

Grades 4 & 5
September - October - November - December

Middle School
September - October - November - December

High School
September - October - November - December

 Other helpful nutriton related Web sites:

Action For Healthy Kids
www.actionforhealthykids.com

The American Cancer Society   
www.cancer.org

The American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org/

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/

HealthierUS
www.healthierus.gov

International Food Information Council (IFIC)
www.ific.org

KidsHealth
www.kidshealth.com

My Pyramid
http://www.mypyramid.gov/

MyPyramid Tracker is an online dietary and physical activity assessment tool that provides information on your diet quality, physical activity status, related nutrition messages, and links to nutrient and physical activity information.
www.mypyramidtracker.gov

National Eating Disorders Association
www.edap.org

National Institutes of Health                   
www.nih.gov

National Lunch and Breakfast Program
www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/

United States Department of Agriculture
www.usda.com

U.S. FDA interactive food label educational tool
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/hwm/labelman.html

Vegetarian Resource Group
www.vrg.org