OUR KIDS
CAFETERIA
REDUX
A HEALTHIER MENU AND REVAMPED DINING SPACE ENTICE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO EAT BETTER.
WRITTEN BY TIFFANY SHINN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAUREN PRESSEY
Nationwide, school districts have been making healthy changes to help reduce and prevent childhood obesity. In the South Bay, Redondo Union High School unveiled its new cafeteria, putting the school at the forefront of the healthy initiative. In 2011, Redondo Union began planning a new student union with the assistance of the Beach Cities Health District, a preventative health agency that services South Bay communities. Their longstanding partnership dates back 20 years and includes initiatives such as an obesity prevention program, which successfully yielded a 7% decline. Endeavoring to create an evolved, healthy cafeteria, Redondo Union and Beach Cities Health District collaborated with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation—an initiative founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation to address the growing rate of child obesity. “The Alliance’s Healthy Schools program builds the foundation for schools to sustain the healthy changes they’re making,” says Beach
Cities Health District’s director of youth services, Gretchen Oshita. “Redondo Union High School is about addressing the ‘whole child,’ so they were open to making the changes to build a healthier infrastructure.” Two years of construction was worth the wait. The new cafeteria gleams with a modern beach aesthetic, created with a student design team’s input on every facet of the cafeteria—including the color palette, furniture and layout. The aesthetic transformation was also intended to draw students away from the neighboring fast food joint and make the cafeteria a hub where students are more inclined to study and socialize. The changes are reflected in the menu upgrade as much as in the cafeteria’s design. The kitchen has been outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment: a specialized pizza oven, a new grill and a panini press. There is a broader selection of cuisine, such as Asian stir-fried vegetables and lemongrass chicken. Healthier lunch options are available, including a lean hamburger, brown rice and whole grain sandwiches. Pizzas are made from
scratch, and all items—including potatoes—are baked instead of fried. Redondo Union provides breakfast and lunch service totaling 600 meals daily. “The students are really excited,” says Redondo Beach Unified School District’s director of food service, Stephanie Tovar. “With these appliances, we can continue to modify the menu. We’ll continue to evolve.” At the student union’s opening ceremony, celebrity chef Devin Alexander showed her support for the school’s healthy upgrades with a cooking demonstration. “You can teach kids or adults that healthy options can be delicious,” she says. “No matter who you are or what you like to eat, you can find healthy alternatives.” A month after the opening of the new student union, the school was awarded the Alliance’s bronze-level recognition. “I’m just so proud of Redondo Union,” says Oshita. “The certification is a testament to what they’re doing, and it’s unifying the community.”
oursouthbay.com | 2013 Southbay Health?
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