HEALTHY BALANCE
Healthy Beginnings in the Lower School
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nswor t h focuses on t he emotional and physical wellbeing of its students through all grades, but the foundation begins in the Lower School when hea lthy, balanced lives are developed through the Life and Physical Education curricula. Faculty and staff also teach students about nutrition, helping students build a solid foundation for healthy choices that will last throughout their lives.
make informed decisions to balance ta ste a nd nutritiona l va lue. Foods are color-coded according to nutrient density and suggested portion control. Joe Petriello, Food Service Director, is a veteran of several local schools’ kitchens and thrives in this atmosphere. “Chef Joe” is very popular for his weekly “Seasonings” tables where students can build culinary creations. “They are meant to be monotony breakers,” he ex pla ins, “a nd add a little more excitement to the dining experience for the students and faculty.” Seasonings tables have included a taco bar, a loaded potato bar, a soft pretzel bar, a nacho bar, a hot chocolate bar, and a churro bar.
Kindergarteners enter Ensworth having rarely relied on themselves to make choices about what to eat. The dining hall allows these young Tigers to make tasty, healthy choices but with a little guidance. Starting in the fall of 2018, Enswor th’s lunch program became much more systematica l ly hea lthy A man peddling churros is bound to through the contract with SAGE Dining make friends. “I've also been working Services. One of the leading foodservice on my acting career,” Joe says. “I play providers specifically serving schools, the role of ‘Chef Joe’ in the four ththe company uses the SAGE Spotlight g ra de pl ay on Ja nua r y 2 4t h . T he Program® to help students and parents four th graders have been checking
4 | ENSWORTH ENSIGHTS
w it h me to ma ke su re I have been practicing my lines.” Although Chef Joe is having fun and doing what he enjoys at Ensworth, he knows that companies like SAGE have a huge responsibility to youth in society and to stay on top of trends. SAGE is one of many companies, he explains, that “are actively embracing these values by offering transparency in regards to their menu options such as nutritional a nd ca lor ic i n for m at ion , of fer i n g special dietary menus to fit the needs of the rising food allergies, working with farmers to develop clean ‘farm to table’ menus, planting their own gardens to pull supply from, composting, sourcing from local vendors, and encouraging more plant-based diets and menus.” Beyond the dining hall, students in Grade 2 benefit from a program that combines food science and art to learn about d i f ferent t y pe s of nut r ient-
