Sherwood Elementary takes part in healthful eating programs

Sherwood Elementary School students recently took part in a two-week pilot program that offered unsweetened menu items at breakfast and lunch.

The pilot removed popular sugared cereals and gave students a choice between plain Cheerios (2 grams of sugar per 2 oz.) and the hot meal. At lunch, chocolate milk was offered just two days a week, giving students a chance to develop a taste for unsweetened white milk three days a week.  

Preliminary data showed that in the milk pilot, some students’ choices did change when given an opportunity to adopt more healthful eating habits. And, with the lunch pilot, when chocolate milk was again made available, the number of students who chose white milk increased by 32 percent.

Spring Branch ISD Child Nutritional Services is now considering offering only more healthful low-sugar breakfast cereal options district-wide.

For more information, contact Jenna Pepper at 281-496-6525 or jennapepper@yahoo.com.