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NuVal® Nutritional Scoring System Serves up Healthy School Lunch Ideas
Quincy, MA– August 15, 2012– For children, September signals a return to school, new teachers, classmates, cherished recess and loathed homework. For many parents, the new school year also brings a familiar set of rituals, including the daily task of packing a lunch for their children. As our country’s rising childhood obesity rates and related illnesses have taken center stage in recent years, parents now have the additional task of ensuring those brown bags and lunchboxes are filled with the most healthy and nutritious food choices. This is a particularly difficult task in an age when many unhealthy products are falsely displayed in packaging that conveys an image of nutrition.
Scores from the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System, a science-based system that displays the true nutrition in food, provides parents with a simple guide to purchasing the right products for a balanced lunch and a healthy snack.
Under the NuVal System, foods are graded on a scale between 1 and 100. The higher the NuVal Score, the more nutritious the food is overall. NuVal Scores can be found in more than 1,600 supermarkets across the U.S.
NuVal Scores are based on an algorithm created over two years by Dr. David Katz and a dozen of the country’s top minds in nutrition science. In addition to being endorsed by the American College of Preventive Medicine, a Harvard study revealed that people who ate a diet of foods with higher NuVal Scores lived longer and had fewer chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension.
“We understand the difficulty associated with making healthy choices at the grocery store,” said NuVal LLC General Manager Mike Nugent. “Fortunately, our system gives parents everything they need to select the most nutritious foods for their children.”
To make the school week a little less stressful, Elizabeth Anderson, MA, RD, LDN, NuVal’s Manager of Nutrition Communication, has provided parents with a week’s worth of healthy lunch ideas for ‘brown bagging it’ this school year:
Monday’s Lunch
Spread a La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Tortilla (NuVal Score 65) with Tribe Classic hummus (41), place Boar’s Head (honey smoked) sliced turkey (26) and thinly sliced cucumber(93), carrots (99) and bell peppers (94) then tightly roll the tortilla and cut it for pinwheels that are fun to eat. Adding Sargento part-skim string Cheese (23) and a handful of whole wheat Triscuit crackers (33) will hold your child over until dinner with the combination of protein and carbohydrates.
Tuesday’s Lunch
Chobani Plain Nonfat Greek yogurt (93), fresh blueberries (100) and unsalted almonds (81) make a great mix of calcium and protein as well as antioxidants. Athenos Baked Pita Chips (29) and Tribe Classic hummus (41) are a good crunchy alternative to potato chips. Include an orange (100) for a sweet snack and boost of vitamin C.
Wednesday’s Lunch
Leftover grilled chicken skinless breast (39) on Pepperidge Farm whole wheat bread (43) with one slice of Sargento Deli Style Swiss cheese (25) and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise made with Canola (11) or Maille traditional Dijon mustard (24). Pack a few baby spinach leaves (100) and sliced tomato (96) separately to add on before they eat. Baby carrots (99), sliced red bell peppers (96) and a veggie dip made with Chobani Plain Nonfat Greek yogurt (93) is a nutritious filled snack. The red, yellow and orange bell peppers have a sweetness that kids love.
Thursday’s Lunch
Pack a Maranatha almond butter (73) sandwich on Pepperidge Farm whole wheat bread (43) with almond milk (91) to wash it down for a protein-packed lunch. A fresh fruit salad with grapes (91), watermelon (94) and pineapple (99) will give your child a bit of energy without weighing them down.
Friday’s Lunch
Spread Philadelphia low-fat strawberry cream cheese (23) on Pepperidge Farm whole wheat bread (43) and add Boar’s Head (honey smoked) sliced turkey (26) and sliced strawberries (100). Slice up an apple (96) to be dipped in peanut butter (such as Teddie unsalted all-natural, which scores a 49). If your child isn’t allowed to bring peanut butter to school, consider peanut-free Sunbutter Sunflower Seed Spread (41) for a quick boost.
About NuVal LLC:
The NuVal® Nutritional Scoring System is a unique food labeling system which ranks all foods between 1 and 100; the higher the score, the higher the food’s overall nutrition. NuVal Scores can be found in participating grocery stores, where they are posted on shelf tags next to the product price and on in-store signage. NuVal Scores can be found at Price Cutter, King Soopers, Tops, King Kullen, Price Chopper, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Brookshire’s, Big Y, Skogen’s Festival Foods, Food City, United Supermarkets, Mariano’s Fresh Market, Lowes Foods, Scolari’s Food and Drug, Raley’s, Robért Fresh market, Coborn’s, and select Giant Eagle and Metro Market locations. Visitors to nuval.com can find sample scores in a variety of categories. NuVal LLC is a joint venture formed in 2008 by Topco Associates, LLC, and Griffin Hospital.