by Guest | Sep 14, 2022 | Eat Well
Let’s be real, when we hear the term school meals, our thoughts might unintentionally drift to the Styrofoam trays with square cut-out pizza slices, piles of corn, and cold heaps of canned fruit cocktail from our youth. The truth however, is that school meals have come a long way in quality over the years, and are meticulously planned to make sure every plate is packed with nutrition and deliciousness. Speaking of which – did you know that recent research found that lunches brought from home have more calories, fat, saturated fat, desserts, and sugar sweetened beverages than school lunches? School meals not only meet the specific nutrition requirements highlighted by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, but also give your child everything needed to do their best in class!
Let’s start with the most important meal of the day – breakfast! Improved academic performance, improved attendance, and improved focus are all linked to eating breakfast. Feeling as if there’s never enough time in a busy day? School breakfast programs not only take meal planning off your plate, they also provide a well-balanced powerhouse of nutrition to help your child fuel their day of learning. But, don’t take our word for it – Check out the science supporting why School Breakfast Matters.
School meals are carefully developed to demonstrate what portion sizes of each food group should look like, and ensure kids get the most bang for their bite in terms of nutritious, energizing, and well-balanced meals. In fact, most school food items are lower in sodium and sugar, and higher in whole grains and vegetables than those you find in stores! Schools work hard to serve a variety of foods, including those that are locally produced, such as dairy, fruits, vegetables, and grains. In fact, school meals actually help students build healthy habits for life through their Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores, which have slowly been improving over the years. You can read more in the following article: School Meals are Healthy Meals. Lastly, The MyPlate guide to School Lunch gives a great example of what to expect on your child’s lunch tray, and the overall benefit that school meals provide to students and families.
What’s new for Tillamook County
Tillamook County is seeing some big changes in school meal programs this year, after several years of flexible meal service programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following video does a great job highlighting the changes. We also encourage you to check with your local school district for more details on your child’s school breakfast and lunch programs:
School Nutrition Association School Meal Changes SY22-23: English Version Spanish Version
Tillamook School District Food Services: All enrolled students of Liberty Elementary, South Prairie Elementary, East Elementary and Wilson River School are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day. Your children will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay for meals or submit a free/reduced meal application. More information can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ECwO0zaKp54bTEiafUnDw2nxJ4tNMQM/view
As pointed out by the TSD Food Service Director, Richard Reidt, “We have been working really hard in all our schools, to bring the students as much variety and choice as possible. Providing options at meal times gets the students excited about making healthy choices for themselves, and is a great way to create good eating habits.”
Neah-Kah-Nie School District: “After a long interruption due to COVID-19, the Neah-Kah-Nie School District is so happy to bring back the “Offer vs. Serve” Program to Neah-Kah-Nie school cafeterias. “Offer vs. Serve” is the concept of giving students several choices in what they eat for lunch (fruits, vegetables, main dish) so that they are more likely to try new foods, more likely to get full, and shows to produce less food waste for school cafeterias. This is a win-win situation for students and school food programs alike.
We’re also starting a “Harvest of the Month” Program where we will focus on introducing a particular fruit or vegetable that is in season. We will serve that food in various ways for students to learn its full potential. For example, this month is apples. We are planning a tasting of two very different apple varieties for students to taste such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. It is fun for students to experience food in new ways which also makes them more likely to try a new-to-them food.
More importantly, the Neah-Kah-Nie School District is steering away from pre-packaged, processed food and cooking from scratch as much as possible. As Neah-Kah-Nie Food Service Director, I will continue to advocate for students and their need for healthy, filling meals prepared deliciously!” – Kris Troutman, Food Service Director
AUTHOR: Crista Hawkins, Senior Director of Youth Wellness at Oregon Dairy & Nutrition Council
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Sep 6, 2022 | Being Well
Tillamook County Suicide Prevention Coalition is an emerging coalition. Dana Reynolds and Janeane Krongos, two members of the coalition shared this information about this coalition.
Can you tell me about the coalition?
The Tillamook County Suicide Prevention Coalition is a group of Tillamook County residents who are concerned about suicide. The coalition meets once a month to discuss strategies to raise awareness of suicide prevention, promote prevention education, and plan community events in Tillamook County. Entities engaged in this coalition include: Tillamook Family Counseling Center (TFCC), Optimal Life Coaching, Tides of Change, Veteran Services, City of Tillamook, Tillamook Police Department, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Tillamook County Wellness, Tillamook County Community Health Center, Columbia Pacific CCO, Department of Human Services, Tillamook Bay Community College, Nestucca Valley School District, Neah-Kah-Nie School District, Tillamook School District 9, Value Yourself Counseling, and Adventist Health Tillamook.
How can people get involved with the coalition?
People who are interested in getting involved can email Janeane Krongos at Janeanek@tfcc.org.
What is the coalition’s focus?
Recently, the coalition has been focusing on organizing suicide prevention events, promoting suicide prevention trainings, and sharing resources and messages of hope. On September 10th, the coalition will hold a family friendly rock-painting event at the Bay City Arts Center (BCAC) from 10AM-2PM. At the event, community members will be encouraged to paint positive messages on rocks. The event will have an information table where community members can learn about suicide prevention. We are grateful for the community partners that have helped us make this event possible. Event sponsors include Columbia Pacific CCO (painting supplies), Averill Landscaping Materials INC (rock donation), Tillamook County Veterans Services (gunlocks), and Bay City Arts Center for hosting our event.
What does it mean to prevent suicide?
There are many ways to prevent suicide. Three examples include having conversations about mental health, learning about suicide prevention, and knowing whom to turn to for support.
Are there any misconceptions surrounding suicide?
Yes, there are misconceptions surrounding suicide. One misconception we would like to address is that talking about suicide will put the idea in a person’s head. The truth is, asking about suicide will not put the idea in the person’s head. Rather, asking questions about suicide shows that you are someone they can trust and communicate with. A second misconception is that a suicide happens without warning. The truth is that warning signs are usually present, but sometimes they are not recognized. Common warning signs include withdrawal from friends, extreme mood changes, giving away prized possessions, and saying they do not want to be here anymore.
How can community members support their loved ones?
Community members can support loved ones by having conversations, attending trainings, and raising awareness that suicide is preventable.
Are there any local suicide prevention trainings coming up?
Yes, there are two coming up:
- ‘Suicide Prevention Training for Farmers and Ranchers’ offered by OSU Extension on 9/7/2022 from 1:00PM-4:30PM, to learn more visit: www.extension.oregonstate.edu.
- QPR Gatekeeper training offered by TFCC on 9/9/2022 from 10:00AM-11:30AM, to learn more email: Janeanek@tfcc.org.
Members share why they’re part of this coalition:
“Janeane and I founded the coalition back when I was a school crisis counselor with Tillamook School District. To continue with the mission I started, I am dedicated to keeping our kids and community safe, and to provide resources in an area where resources are limited. Now as a consultant and life coach, I would like to continue my work with the coalition so that I can offer any experience or expertise to the community, neighboring communities, while continuing to learn and grow.”- Denise Donohue, Optimal Life Coaching
“Last year Denise and I started the coalition to coordinate suicide prevention efforts among community partners. As a member of this coalition, I like having opportunities to work as a team to share prevention resources that can help community members to take active steps to prevent suicide.”- Janeane Krongos, Tillamook Family Counseling Center
“In the past 20 plus years of working with people in crisis, who are suicidal, I know firsthand the struggle is real. Coming from a position of empathy and using trauma informed care to help our neighbors is essential. Public Safety has come a long way in the past 20 years and I am proud of that. We are trauma informed and person centered. We know how to help guide those in need to a better space as they walk the, at times, clunky path from a crisis situation.” – Lieutenant Nick Troxel, Tillamook Police Department
“I’m part of the coalition because I’ve lost a loved one to suicide and I know that suicide is preventable. With the power of community coming together, we can share messages of hope and prevention so that we can end suicide forever in our communities.” – Teresa Lavagnino, Community Partner
“I joined the coalition after I took a training called ASIST, and realized the impact of having conversations about suicide with others. I feel that I now have the tools to support myself and others with suicide ideation, and want to share this knowledge.” – Dana Reynolds, TFCC, BCAC
“I am firmly committed to finding ways as a community to address suicide by increasing awareness, preventing further suicide, and supporting anyone impacted by it. Being part of this very important work can help us to heal.” – Romy Carver, Community Member
AUTHORS: Janeane Krongos (Prevention Specialist, Tillamook Family Counseling Center) and Dana Reynolds (Communications at Tillamook Family Counseling Center)
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
