This year in our practical arts classes our students will be concentrating on developing healthier ways to choose what they eat at mealtimes and for their snacks. Students will be using the FDA Food Pyramid and its recommendations as they track their individual eating patterns and food choices. Then they can see what they need to change, add, or decrease in terms of the various food categories and the recommended RDA's for their age groups.

Students will also be encouraged to continue to keep themselves hydrated during the school day by carrying water bottles or getting frequent drinks from our water fountains between classes. In support of this, the practical arts department is giving a free bottle of drinking water to each student in our practical arts classes on the first day of their foods lab. These bottles are reusable!

I hope you will enjoy trying some of the healthy recipes we will be preparing in food labs this year in our small cooking groups. Also be sure to check out my "Recipe of the Week" on this website for some of the most popular recipes from our cooking labs as well as some of my personal favorites!