Dianne Esplin, the new PSS nutritionist who came on board November 15, said the need is to get the message and the specifics of healthy eating and active living to students and their families so this can be practiced inside and outside of the school.
“CNMI parents and families have high hopes for their children — we want them to succeed in all aspects of their lives. We share those aspirations also here at PSS-Food and Nutrition Services. We want our children have the future they dream of — a prosperous, healthy future for the CNMI. We don’t want our children’s future obstructed by health problems, especially those conditions that are preventable,” Esplin said.
As a renal dietitian, Esplin said that she saw the difficult life changes that serious health problems can bring.
“Our PSS wellness policy supports healthy eating/active living, and part of my job is to make sure our CNMI students and families understand the purpose of the wellness policy, as we follow the policy,” she said.
Esplin said as PSS teaches and sets the example for healthy eating/active living, and students apply what they learn, they can have more hope for a longer, healthier future in which to achieve all their dreams.
“In the big picture, we also don’t want our islands burdened with heavy healthcare costs — limiting the future prosperity of our economy,” she said.
Food safety
“We also must take a much closer look at food safety. The [U.S. Department of Agriculture] mandates specific food handling requirements, including temperature controls for keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold,” Esplin said.
PSS needs to comply with either USDA’s standard or the local food handling law standard, whichever is more stringent.
Esplin said CNMI regulations state that prepared “foods held at any temperature between 40 and 140 present a hazard to public health in terms of microbial growth.”
“I’m a real stickler for temperatures in cooking, holding, and serving food as a component of food safety. Our students should feel confident that the food they are being served is safe,” she added.
Menus
USDA has raised the bar for the nutrition provided to students.
“The USDA requires the school lunch and breakfast menu to align with the Dietary Guidelines which was jointly created by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA as solid, evidence-based nutrition advise,” Esplin said.
She said that this has really raised the nutrition quality of the foods they are serving to the students, and they anticipate that this will have an even bigger impact on our menus for next school year.
Esplin said school lunches now contain more whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, less sodium, sugar and fat.
“Here in the CNMI, because of our huge public health crisis with what the World Health Organizations calls “non-communicable diseases,” such as diabetes and high blood pressure, this is a VERY good thing,” Esplin said.
By replacing some of the less desirable foods with the “good stuff,” they are doing several things like teaching the kids what healthy food looks and tastes like, and preventing those unpleasant chronic diseases in the upcoming generation, Esplin said.
