The United States Healthful Food Council (USHFC) announced today that the Greenwich Country Day School is the first school in the nation to become Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership (REAL) Certified, the nationally recognized mark of excellence for food and foodservice providers committed to holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship.
“If kids are conditioned to eat highly processed foods that come out of a box, that’s what they will crave for the rest of their lives,” said Lawrence Williams, CEO of the USHFC. “Preparing real, whole foods from scratch may take more time and effort, but pay dividends in the form of longer, healthier lives. So we are certainly proud to highlight leaders such as GCDS for showing the way.”
Modeled after the LEED green building certification program, REAL Certified uses Registered Dietitians (RDs) to audit foodservice operators for sustainability best-practices. REAL RDs review menus, ingredients, preparation methods, and sourcing, and award points in a wide range of criteria, such as the use of nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; scratch cooking and minimally processed foods; healthier cooking methods; moderate portion sizes; and unsweetened beverages. Those that satisfy the necessary requirements are awarded and recognized as REAL Certified.
“Greenwich Country Day spends a lot of time and effort on our food program. We understand the benefits of healthy eating and believe that lifelong patterns are developed at the youngest ages,” said Greenwich Country Day School Headmaster, Adam Rohdie. “This is why we are so proud to be recognized as the first school to achieve this designation. We will continue to encourage healthy and sustainable eating for our very youngest to our ninth graders.”
About Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS)
The Greenwich Country Day School is an independent, co-educational day school with over 900 students in grades nursery through nine, and a faculty and staff of over 200. Founded in 1926, the mission of The Greenwich Country Day School is to enable all children in our care to discover and to develop what is finest in themselves—to achieve the highest standards in their studies, in their play, and in their character. GCDS has a major commitment to programs for diversity, as well as a substantial need-based financial aid program for students. More information can be found at www.gcds.net.
About Eat REAL
Eat REAL® is a 501(c) (3) Public Health nonprofit organization based in Richmond, California. Eat REAL is dedicated to transforming food in K-12 schools, creating a healthier next generation and planet. Launched in 2012, Eat REAL Certified is a nutrition and sustainability best practices certification program working with school district food service leaders to raise the bar and make food in schools more nutritious and sustainable. Eat REAL’s core program currently supports 237 schools, reaching over 116,000 students.
