“We place a special emphasis on nutrition education in every school we serve,” said Toby Horner, divisional vice president, Metz & Associates, Ltd. “ Our goal is to help students develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.” Wellness Friends encompasses Metz programs such as “Nutritious Friends,” the introduction of different fruits and vegetables each month in menu items, special promotions and more; Commissioner Nutrition,” a lovable bear who educates and investigates on the various aspects of nutrition through monthly stories; “Nutritious Friendly Snacks,” providing and encouraging healthy snacks; and “Wellness Education,” an array of age-appropriate educational programs. “One of our school districts features ‘Dyna-Fuel,’ a special menu designed for athletes,” Horner said. “The program offers student athletes food combinations that are high in complex carbohydrates and are vital for increased stamina.”

For older students, a special “Go for the Greens” Fear Factor event proved to be an extremely popular event to promote eating more green vegetables. Students in grades 7 through 9 participated in a variation of the popular program, as they were first blindfolded and then asked to try a variety of mystery green items. Students munched on items including asparagus, avocado, parsley, fresh and steamed spinach and baked and steamed broccoli, and then had to guess the identity of each. “This program was aimed at encouraging students to try green vegetables that they previously might not select in a lunch line or at dinner. After blind-taste testing, many students who thought they wouldn’t like spinach thought the raw version was actually lettuce,” Marker said. “In addition to showing how different items tasted, we were able to educate on how different methods of preparation affect taste. This proved to be the perfect educational event for older students. They were truly eager to participate.”

“With Wellness Friends we want to go beyond the walls of the schools, we would like these healthy eating tips to be carried over into the home,” Marker said. In the hopes of accomplishing this mission, Marker attends PTA meetings to discuss healthy eating and student nutrition with parents and principals. “Talking with the parents is an excellent way to get communication flowing between parent and child on the topic of nutrition and healthier eating. Parents have related that students are taking an active role in food preparation, shopping for healthy foods and incorporating them into their meals in ways they have learned in our program. This is an excellent example of healthy lifestyles transcending from the classroom to the dinner table.”

“Metz has always strived to be pro-active in student nutrition education. We believe, given a greater variety of healthy choices, students will be more apt to choose healthy items. We always offer a variety of fruits, vegetables and healthy snack items,” Marker said. “Every promotion and initiative is aimed at creating awareness among students, plus they love all the choices.”