Blessed Sacrament School hosts Family Food Tasting Night
Jan. 26, 2009
Parents, teachers and students working together to promote healthy living through balanced eating and exercise
(SAVANNAH) – Blessed Sacrament School recently hosted a Family Food Tasting Night, inspired by a group of parents who wanted to encourage better nutritional habits for their children. The school has joined the efforts, working to make its cafeteria lunches healthier and educate students about healthy food choices.
The food tasting for the parents and students included food provided by YoNaturals vending machines, Wassaw Sound Seafood Company, Thrive Café, Celestial Seasonings, Caraway Café, Christy Cook of Savannah Bee Company, Publix, and Brighter Day. The tasting is part of the school’s efforts to expose children to healthy food alternatives. The companies donated their goods to reach out to families on alternatives to fried and processed foods.
After the food tasting, Pediatric Nutritionist Danielle Webb, RD, CSP, LD with Memorial Health spoke about nutrition, and Sam Carter, Director of Fitness at SCAD, discussed fitness. While parents and children ages fifth grade and up listened to the speakers, the younger children were brought to classrooms to watch a video on nutrition, make food crafts, and play nutrition-related games. The evening was organized by parents and staff who have formed a group called “Fresh Outlook”. The overall goal of the project is to encourage the Blessed Sacrament community and beyond to make healthier choices through education, lifestyle and exercise during for an even brighter future.
“I love what is happening at Blessed Sacrament in the area of healthy living,” Blessed Sacrament School principal Lynn Brown said. “It really is a community approach. We know, if you want to bring about changes in lifestyle, everyone has to be on board and educated. After tonight, students, parents and teachers are very clear that wholesome, nutritious foods taste good, while being good for you. They are also ready to say no to TV and yes to bike rides, family walks and athletic events. The village of Blessed Sacrament came together to make changes which will impact our children for life. What a meaningful event!”
Blessed Sacrament School was founded in 1939 with two classrooms and three sisters of Mercy as the first faculty. Today there are two sections of each grade level from Pre-K through 8th grades with a current enrollment of approximately 425 students. The school offers a rigorous, faith-based academic program and maintains small class sizes. Blessed Sacrament is part of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah and is the only educational institution in the region to have received accreditation by both SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and FCC (Florida Catholic Conference).
