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Cooking up a healthier way of life
GSU offering classes to help area school nutritionists
061412 SCHOOL NUTRITION 01
Forest Heights Country Club Executive Chef Michael DiAngelo, far left, demonstrates ways to make healthy food more fun and desirable for students to a group of school nutrition managers from around the state Thursday.
Holding a paring knife, Glynn County Schools nutrition manager Georgie Futch slowly turned a tomato into a rose as she spun the fruit in her hand, practicing garnishing skills she learned Thursday at Georgia Southern University.Dozens of school nutrition managers gathered recently for a series of classes in the GSU Hospitality, Tourism and Family Consumer Sciences kitchen to learn how to prepare healthier meals for students. The school nutritionists were from Decatur, Jones, Newton, Baldwin, Hart, DeKalb, Lumpkin, Toombs, Troup, Glynn, Clayton, Dalton, Jackson and Bartow counties, GSU spokeswoman Betsy Nolen said.“Many students in our state's public schools eat both breakfast and lunch at school, so the nutrition of these meals is vitally important,” she said.The school nutrition managers worked with local chef Mike D’Angelo, who works at Forest Heights Country Club, as they learned how to cut salt, fat and sugar in their recipes, as well as cooking and presentation techniques that enhance flavor, she said.Program directors Larry Stalcup and Rebecca Larson also taught the nutrition managers in about serving students with disabilities and diseases; how to make food more attractive to picky eaters, and how to make eating school breakfasts and lunches fun.With 15 guests per class, Stalcup, who teaches hotel and hospitality management, and Larson, who is with the university’s Nutrition Department, each took turns discussing various topics with the groups.New menu standards take place in July, and include increasing amounts of fruits and vegetables while slightly reducing meats and grains. Also, students only will be able to choose nonfat flavored milk with their meals, Larson said.
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