Introducing Brehm School’s new dietitian

By Melissa Banz, Dietitian, Brehm Preparatory School

Research indicates that good nutrition for students can lead to better academic performance, prevent childhood and adolescent health problems (such as iron deficiency, low calcium intake, dental caries and obesity), and improve behavioral problems.

Also, establishing healthy habits now lowers your child’s risk for future chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Children who learn to live healthy, live longer, more productive lives.

My name is Melissa Banz, and I’m a dietitian working with Brehm to enhance the school environment to ensure that it supports a healthy school nutrition environment. I have conducted reviews of the menus and food supplies to ensure that they meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture.

We are also working on ways to promote healthier choices to students. I’ve already talked to some students about healthy eating during our new “Lunch and Learn” discussions.

I look forward to working with the students at Brehm to bring about some exciting additions to the menus and school environment! Please support us this New Year as we work to promote these healthier choices throughout the school.

Check out what’s on the menu:

• Lean meats – Each day there will be at least one lean meat choice: skinless chicken breast (baked or grilled – not fried), vegetarian (meatless) entrée or low fat cold cuts.
• Fruits and vegetables – Each day, the salad bar features fresh berries and other delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. When canned fruits or vegetables are provided, they will not have any added sugar or salt. Hot vegetables will be served seasoned – not buttered.
• Whole grains – Grains will fill a quarter of your child’s plate with at least one serving of whole grain rich food, like whole grain pasta, bread or brown rice. These will be seasoned – not buttered.
• Milk and dairy products – Low fat varieties of milk will be offered at every meal. In addition, the salad bar will offer low fat cottage cheese and yogurt.
• Other foods – Low fat or fat-free dressings, sour cream, gravies and other condiments will be used when available. Products and cooking methods will aim to reduce the amount of saturated and sodium provided during lunch and dinner meals.

Melissa Banz has been a registered dietitian since May 2001, working in community nutrition. She graduated from the University of Nevada-Reno with a bachelor's of science in dietetics and then received a master's in science in community nutrition from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She currently works with the Department of Human Services as a nutrition consultant providing training, education, consultation, and technical assistance to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and other maternal and child health programs. Her experiences emphasize individualized, patient-centered counseling and training and the development of effective educational materials. For the last few years, she has been using her experience in community nutrition to consult with private businesses to help individuals and families live a healthier lifestyle.