Sometimes, a simple question can produce big results. When Carrie Frank, food and nutrition director for Dover-Eyota schools in southeastern Minnesota, stopped by a produce stand one day, she spotted the apples the proprietor was selling and asked, “Have you ever thought of selling to schools?” That simple question sparked a conversation that eventually grew into a partnership between the farm stand and Frank’s school district.
March is National Nutrition Month, an important opportunity to think about what we can all do to improve our own eating habits and those of our communities. America’s Health Rankings® is honored to tell the story of Frank, who is one of our Public Health Heroes. By asking a simple question and creatively linking resources, she provides a shining example of the power we all have to improve the health of our states.
Frank’s work with the Farm to School initiative is making a difference for her district’s students and staff, providing them with fresher, more nutritious and locally grown food – often on farms belonging to students’ own families. Click here to read more about her story, as well as stories of other Public Health Heroes nationwide.
Of course, we all know schools can’t go it alone and that good nutrition should happen at home, too. If you aren’t already familiar with them, I challenge you to familiarize yourself with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued every five years by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. How does your diet and the diet of your family stack up against the recommendations? I also challenge you to start reading labels on the foods you buy for yourself and your family. Are you paying attention to saturated fat and sodium? Are you thinking about the number of fruits and vegetables you eat in a day?
Of course, I also urge you to take Frank’s example to heart and think about the schools and workplaces in your community. Our Take Action Resource Library puts many useful tools at your fingertips, including details on how to advocate for healthier meals in schools. With a National School Lunch Program serving 30.5 million children, helping get that extra apple a day onto the lunch tray can have a big impact on our children – the next generation of public health heroes