ACAI BOWLS

 There are many food trends out there including acai bowls, the new craze. The acai berry has been known for its many health benefits, but its strongest benefit is definitely its taste. Acai is a delicious tropical fruit and when it comes served as a bowl, it makes waking up a whole lot easier. An acai bowl is basically a really thick smoothie that's been topped with oatmeal, fruit or peanut butter, and then you wolf it down with a spoon. After eating a bowl, you will not only feel happily full, you will have satisfied a sweet craving and done something that was good for you. Win win!!! You can purchase frozen or powdered acai berries. Here’s how to make an acai bowl with or without the acai.

 1. In a blender, add: 1 frozen banana, 1 cup berries (blueberries, strawberries or frozen acai), 1 peach or 1/2 pear

1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa, and 1 cup  of milk of choice

2. Add extra fiber (shredded zucchini, carrots, kale, spinach, etc.)

3. IF NEEDED, add extra sweet (2 tsp of honey or pure maple syrup)

4. Blend well and pour into a bowl.

5. Add toppings one or more of the following:

FRUIT SLICES: Strawberries, banana, mango or golden kiwi

SEEDS: Chia, pumpkin, flax or sunflower seeds

NUTS: Walnuts, cashews, almond slices or peanut butter

OTHER: Shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips, dried fruit

GRAINS: Oats, granola, other cereals, quinoa

BREAK THE FAST!

This upcoming week is National School Breakfast Week. Studies show that eating breakfast and refueling your body can make a world of difference not only for adults but for kids too! Eating breakfast is believed to impact test scores, trips to the nurse's office, and behavior. If breakfast is too rushed at home, don't forget about trying school breakfast. Not only is it an easy option, it can also be a social opportunity. Here are some tips for teaching students or your children about breakfast. 

1. Have your student/child make a list of breakfast ideas.
2. Explain that when we do not eat breakfast, our body goes 16 hours without fuel (time estimated from about dinner to the next day's lunch). Our body needs fuel to play hard, work hard, and be successful. Breakfast jump starts our bodies with the energy it needs to feel and do our work hard, and be successful. 
3. Describe a well-balanced breakfast. A well-balanced breakfast should have at least 3 of the 5 food groups. Ask the student/child to list the 5 groups: fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein.
4. Breakfast should include protein, complex carbohydrates, and little fat. Complex carbohydrates (starch and fiber carbohydrates; ex: whole grain English muffin) help us feel energized and the protein and fat (minimum) help keep us feeling full.
5. Explain that eggs can be part of a healthy breakfast and demonstrate a couple of ways to cook an egg (e.g., scramble, boil, poach, etc.).
6. At home, flavor the eggs with herbs and spices and allow your child to try each type of cooked egg.
7. Ask how to make a well-balanced breakfast out of eggs (e.g., eggs, whole grain toast, and grapes) achieving 3 of the 5 food groups for breakfast.
8. Encourage your student/child to eat breakfast and try the school breakfast for a healthy start to their day.

Community Eligibility Provision to be Offered at Bakersville School

At their meeting on October 26, 2015 the Manchester School District, Board of School Committee voted to allow Bakersville School to participate in the National School Lunch Program’s Community Eligibility Provision. Under this program all students attending Bakersville School are eligible to eat school Breakfast and Lunch for free regardless of their current meal benefit eligibility status. We will implement this program beginning on January 4, 2016.

 We are excited to be able to offer this program as a pilot program with the intention of expanding participation to other eligible schools in the next school year if this venture proves to be a success. 

There is no paperwork to be completed by parents for participation in this program. Siblings of Bakersville students who attend other Manchester Schools will not be affected by this and their current meal eligibility status will still be in effect. Families will still be able to file a new benefits application on behalf of their non Bakersville students if their current financial situation changes during the year.

Upon written request any funds in a Bakersville student’s account can be refunded or transferred to the account of a sibling at another Manchester school.

Eat Breakfast at School - Make it Your New Year's Resolution!

Mornings can be really crazy! The alarm doesn’t go off. The kids don’t want to get up and there’s no time to eat breakfast before the bus comes…or they’re just not ready to eat. Maybe your teenager grabs a can of soda and a candy bar on the way to school. If this sounds like your house, we have good news for you.

Breakfast is served at school! School breakfast will give your child a healthy start to the day. A nutritious breakfast helps students be more alert so they can learn more in class. Breakfast has vitamins and nutrients for a strong and healthy body. Research shows that children who eat breakfast have better attendance and academic performance at school.

Breakfast at school is affordable, too. If you qualify for free and reduced price meals, you also qualify for the breakfast program with no additional paperwork. You can’t find a healthy breakfast at such a low cost anywhere else.

Help your child start the day right with school breakfast!!