The Co-op Food Stores

added 04/16/08

Food cooperatives care about providing good food, helpful nutritional information, and supporting their local communities—so it is not surprising that when the discussion turns to improving school nutrition, co-ops lend a hand. In 2005, large and small co-ops in New Hampshire and Vermont created the Co-ops to Kids project. We have recently been joined by a co-op in New York. Our on-going mission is to collect and share valuable information with community members via an online resource.

The key players in improving school nutrition are parents, teachers, school food service professionals, school nurses, administrators, the school board, and the students. In effect, they all need to be involved in changing such an important facet of school culture. And any or all of them will find useful information at the Co-ops to Kids site.

This on-line resourceis rich with local and national resources to help meet the challenge of creating a more healthful school food and nutrition environment, such as:

• curricula on food, nutrition, and agriculture
• reliable nutrition guidance for parents of school-aged children
• wholesale and retail sources of whole foods and local products
• lists of state associations for school food service professionals
• contact information of food service professionals who have successfully improved the school nutrition environment of their school or district, and
• short nutrition articles suitable for school or PTA/PTO newsletters.

The website is designed for easy use. From the home page, links give readers direct access to information by category. Parents, for example, will find information on healthy snacks, a snack shopping guide, and sources of trustworthy nutrition advice. Teachers will find curriculum ideas, nutrition information, and descriptions of classes on food and nutrition presented by local groups, including co-ops. Food service professionals will find supportive state and national resources, ongoing training opportunities, and more.