Parents, students, and teachers can help improve their health by making small changes in their diets: Focus on cups instead of servings. Increase servings from dairy group to 3 cups daily. Children 2 to 8 years should consume 2 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat white milk. Children 9 years of age and older should consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk. Consume whole-grain products often (at least the grains should be whole grains). Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Serve non starchy fruits and vegetables at each meal. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweetners. Consume sugar and starch containing foods and beverages less frequently to reduce calories. Cut back on the amount of sugar added to all recipes. Keep total fat intake between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Reduce the number of potato chips served at meals and substitute regular chips with baked products. Keep between meal snacks to a minimum or eliminate them all together. If you must have a snack between meals, choose whole fresh fruit, whole grains, or sugar-free snacks. Reduce portion size by a small amount. Article by Wilma Crane, Director of School Nutrition

If an individual health improvement plan could be summed into one statement, it would be: Choose small amounts of a large variety of foods and limit fats and sweets. Efforts to improve health will be attentive to culture, and differences in social, economic, and physical environments. Even the smallest improvement is encouraged and is a start toward developing a comprehensive individual plan that will improve health for a lifetime.