Supplement Safety Changing the Face of School ... - Curry College

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changing menusWhy school kitchens and dining halls could be the front linein the fight against obesity.By Noah LeavittThe United States has an obesity epidemic. That’s the nearly universal consensus among doctors,nutritionists, and policy-makers. And it’s hard to argue with them or the numbers. The NationalInstitutes of Health estimates that 1 in 3 American children between the ages of 2 and 19 are eitheroverweight or obese. That means millions of those children are at a much greater risk of becomingobese adults, developing Type II diabetes at a young age, or falling victim to heart disease.There is no easy solution to the problem, but the kitchens in ournation’s schools and colleges may prove to be the front line inbattling the obesity epidemic.Among those on that front line is registered dietitian MarciaRichards. Richards is a 1998 Continuing Education graduatewith a degree in Health and a senior lecturer at Curry College.Motion” works to help 52 communities implement new federallunch regulations.Those new regulations took effect in 2012—the first changessince 1995. And, they aim to overhaul meals at public schoolsby increasing the required servings of whole grains, fruits, andvegetables.Richards works at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, and is oneof dozens of Massachusetts dietitians implementing the state’s“Mass in Motion” program. Launched in 2011, “Mass in20 20 | | CURRY COLLEGE MAGAZINE SPRING 2013
“Our clients, they’re just foodies.They expect good food, they knowthey’re not going to have artificialflavors but the food is still going totaste great.”- Joesph Hines ‘10Flik Independent SchoolDining at Milton Academy“Eating healthy is not hard. Eating healthy iseasy and it’s affordable. A lot of people areunder the impression that it’s not, soI’m really working on helping to changethat culture in the town of Plymouth.”- Marcia Richards ‘98Registered DieticianJordan HospitalFor Richards, those regulations shouldset the standard for a lifetime of basic,healthy eating.“Less processed food, less fast food, lesseating out, and more growing your own.I still think no matter how busy we arewe can find a way to eat healthy. Eatinghealthy is not hard. Eating healthy is easyand it’s affordable. A lot of people areunder the impression that it’s not, so I’mreally working on helping to change thatculture in the town of Plymouth.”30 miles to the north, there is anotherCurry graduate working to change theperception of the school cafeteria.At Milton Academy, Curry MBAalumnus Joe Hines ’10 oversees a staffof five culinary school trained chefs whoare making fresh soups and salads, bakingtheir own pastries and breads, and evenmaking homemade cheese.Hines knows the days of the traditionalcafeteria are over.“Our clients, they’re just foodies,” saysHines. He’s employed by Flik IndependentSchool Dining. The company providesmeals to students, faculty, and staff at 137schools—but Milton Academy is one ofits biggest—and most prestigious clients.“They expect good food, they knowthey’re not going to have artificial flavorsbut the food is still going to taste great.”Just a few miles down the road, on thecampus of Curry College, students aredemanding many of those same things.Sodexo Executive Chef Christian King isresponsible for serving more than 11,000meals a week. During one busy lunch rush,his team can be spotted grilling up freshchicken breasts, or perfectly searing filletsof Cajun salmon. For King, it’s importantto have variety—to please all the differentappetites being served every day.“I need to have food that’s balanced…youhave the student that wants the chickennugget…you have the student that wantsthe vegan plate. I start with [a] 16-weekmenu and by week three I blow it up andcreate another one,” King says. Everyyear, the students are more educatedabout food, especially with all the foodshows. The days of the cafeteria are over.Students really embrace our marketplace,they love the setup, they love that we’redoing more of what I like to call adultfood.”Students at Curry are also taking a moreactive role in what they eat. Keith Mealis the General Manager for Sodexo, andmanages the work done by King and hisstaff.Meal says. “I tell the students, ‘tell us whatyou want, tell us what you mean.’ Whenyou say more healthy choices, what doyou mean? The students that are comingin have gone to high schools where theyoffer a food service similar to us. Theyalready have expectations set.”But, before students can even reach thatpoint, they will be eating hundreds—if not thousands—of meals at theirsecondary schools and high schools; mealsthat could play a major role in establishingeating habits for life.That’s part of the challenge for MarciaRichards in Plymouth. She must workwith the town’s Food Service DirectorSPRING 2013 CURRY COLLEGE MAGAZINE | 21
Page 1 and 2: CURRYMAGAZINE Spring 2013david litt
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTSCurry Magazine is a publica
Page 5 and 6: FLASHBACKCurry College students and
Page 7 and 8: on campusCurry College launches new
Page 9 and 10: CENTER FORCAREERDEVELOPMENT“it’
Page 11 and 12: faculty focusa series of steps that
Page 13 and 14: You’ve seen them in your supermar
Page 15 and 16: It’s a difficult job for people l
Page 17 and 18: more advanced cooking techniques an
Page 19 and 20: He’s called the “Sausage Guy”
Page 21: next day, I couldn’t go. I had ic
Page 25 and 26: Local and sustainable. Those have b
Page 27 and 28: COLONELS CORNERMEN’S BASKETBALL T
Page 29 and 30: class notableSusan Griffin ‘80Exp
Page 31 and 32: CLASS NOTESH. Kimball Stanwood ’0
Page 33 and 34: CLASS NOTESAlicia (Viscomi) William
Page 35 and 36: DONOR PROFILE“I didn’t realize

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