Running Head: CHOOSE MY PLATE

Choose My Plate
Catheryn Calderon
Arizona State University

PPE 310: Health and Literacy for Schools

Dr. William Hesse
October 23, 2016

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Choose My Plate

The setting for this assignment is a preschool in Phoenix, AZ. Employees at this
preschool have the opportunity to eat the prepared breakfast and lunch for each school day. Other
meals must be self-provided. The children are served breakfast, morning snack, lunch, and
afternoon snack. All of the meals are prepared on site, by the school cook. This paper will
examine the food that is served throughout the day, and analyze whether the dietary guidelines
are being met. It is important to consider whether the children and teachers are being fed
appropriately. Nutrition is an important part of development in the childhood years, and plays a
key role in health. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, evidence shows that
healthy eating patterns are associated with positive health outcomes.
The breakfast and lunch options were randomly selected from a weekly lunch menu
provided by the preschool. The selected breakfast option includes: Waffles, pears, and milk to
drink. The waffles are Homestyle by Eggo. The pears are canned with light syrup. The milk is
from a gallon, purchased from local bulk grocery store. Children 24 months and older receive
1% milk, while younger children receive whole fat milk. The serving sizes include: 1 round 4inch waffle, approximately cup of pears (spoon served to plate from bowl), and approximately
1 cup of milk (poured into individual cups). No accurate measurements were available.
The selected lunch option includes: Macaroni and cheese, fresh green beans, fruit
cocktail, and milk. The macaroni and cheese is not from a pre-packaged mix, but the recipe is
unavailable. The green beans in fact were not fresh, rather from a frozen bag. The fruit cocktail
includes pears, peaches, pineapple, grapes, and halved cherries, all soaked in light syrup in a can.
The serving sizes again are not approximate, due to serving with spoons rather than measuring

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devices. Students receive approximately cup of macaroni and cheese, cup of green beans,
cup of fruit cocktail, and a cup of milk.

Images retrieved from https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodtracker.aspx

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Meeting Dietary Guidelines?

Now that the meals have been described, a comparison will be made concluding whether
or not the requirements for the Dietary Guidelines are being met. According to the food tracker
results provided by supertracker.usda.gov, a total of 748 calories were consumed from the
breakfast and lunch options. According to American Heart Association, a 2-3 year olds calorie
intake should be about 1,000. Being very physically active can bring this level up to 1,200.
Considering that breakfast and lunch make up 748 calories, the children are most likely eating
more than this expected calories intake. Students receive two snacks during school, and then they
go home and have dinner. Unless the two snacks and dinner combined make up 252-452 calories,
then they are definitely eating more calories than recommended. The eating patterns of many
are too high in calories. Calorie intake over time, in comparison to calorie needs, is best
evaluated by measuring body weight status. The high percentage of the population that is
overweight or obese suggests that many in the United States overconsume calories, (Dietary
Guidelines for Americans).
Now we will consider the calorie intake for the adult employees. According to the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2 cups of vegetables should be eaten per day, at the 2,000
calorie level. 2 cups of fruit are recommended every day, 6 oz. of grain, and 3 cups of dairy.
Additionally, it is recommended that adult consumes 5 ounces of protein, and 5 teaspoons of
oils every day. With the given breakfast and lunch option, most of the categories are being
fulfilled (given that only two meals are considered). According to the food tracker results, 36%
of refined grains have been eaten, 20% of vegetables, 50% of fruit, and 70% of dairy. The food
groups that are missing from these meals include protein and oils. Considering that the rest of the

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meals would be eaten at home, and self-provided snacks are not included, it can be concluded
that healthy food options are available for employees and the dietary guidelines are being met.
Potential Changes for Positive Impact
One change that could be made for employees is for them to be offered a whole fruit or
vegetable snack, with the children. If this option is not available, employees should be
encouraged to bring in healthy snack options. Another change that could be met would be for the
preschool to commit to making sure they are providing at least half of the recommended servings
to staff. This would give employees the opportunity to meet their nutritional needs, with only
having to consciously fulfill the other half of nutritional needs. Lastly, administration can invite
employees to pay for healthier meal options, such as catered meals.
Reflection
Considering these alternative opportunities is important in the consideration of healthy
eating at work. Currently, there are many fast food options in the surrounding area of the
preschool, which many of the employees opt to for lunch and snacks. The biggest seller to
employees is Circle K. Employees purchase coffee, soda, snacks, and lunch such as hot dogs
from this store on a daily basis. Other lunch options include Taco Bell, Burger King, and
Subway. Employees find these lunch options to be satisfying and cost effective. On days when
employees might not enjoy the schools provided lunch, employees turn to fast food. Having the
alternative of fast food while convenient, is not the best option. While there are healthier options
on the menu, there are health concerns with this eating habit. According to Healthy Eating, fast
food hosts low nutritional value, high fat, calorie, and sodium content, which can cause a variety

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of health problems. There have been statistical associations to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and
cardiovascular conditions as a result of eating fast food regularly.
With these major concerns, employers should be concerned with the health of employees,
and the nutritional options available to them. With the information collected from the meals
available from the school, and the nutritional guidelines, employers should be conscious of these
guidelines and make an effort to meet these guidelines for the employees, as they do for the
students. As a leader of a company, this information can be used to track whether meals are
meeting the nutritional guidelines. If not, adjustments can be made to do so. Leaders can also
take initiative to inform employees of this information, giving them the encouragement to start
making healthier choices at home as well. Overall, the sharing of information and knowledge
will ultimately improve the health environment of the workplace, as well as promote a healthier
way of living.

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References

American Heart Association (2016). Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children. Retrieved
from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/DietaryRecommendations-for-

Healthy-Children_UCM_303886_Article.jsp#.WAz9PyTuOYM

Health.gov (n.d). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 Eighth Edition. Retrieved from
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
Healthy Eating (n.d.). Statistics of Health Risks From Eating Fast Food. Retrieved from
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/statistics-health-risks-eating-fast-food-3290.html