Welcome to LIA's Cafeteria
Mission
LIA's Dining Hall is committed to providing quality, great tasting, healthy food in a physically responsible manner; taking care of both food manipulation and presentation.
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We cook primarily from scratch, reducing use of processed foods.
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We grill, bake, broil or sauté to avoid frying.
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We use fresh vegetables to maximize nutritional value.
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We offer meatless options daily.
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We offer fresh salads and fresh fruit daily.
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We offer a deli selection daily, that includes salads, wraps and Panini.
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We use a variety of herbs and spices to reduce the use of salt.
Our Program
Dear Students and Parents,
It is very important for LIA, together with parents, to educate our children in healthy eating habits. We are adding some color to our school menu.
The color coded nutrition program is called “Go, Slow, Whoa”. This program was developed by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to help guide us towards making healthy food choices.
Go, Slow, Whoa is a system to identify foods into three simple categories.
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GO foods or green dot foods are the most important part of your meal. GO foods are the lowest in fat, sodium and calories. They are also filled with nutrients, which mean they are rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important to health. Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and non-fat dairy are examples of green dot foods. Every day, you should include a variety of these foods to at least half of your meal. This will give you lots of nutrients and color to your plate.
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SLOW foods or yellow dot foods add a mix of nutrients and flavors to your plate. SLOW foods are somewhat higher in fat, sodium, and calories than GO foods. They should be eaten less frequently than GO foods. Yellow dot foods include fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and low-fat dairy prepared with moderate amounts of added sugar, fat and/or salt. Balance your plate by filling a quarter to a half of it with yellow dot foods.
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WHOA or red dot foods provide valuable nutrients, but also contain some you want to moderate. WHOA foods are the highest in fat, sodium and calories. Many are low in nutrients as well. These should be eaten once in a while or on special occasions. Watch portion sizes. Focusing on portion or frequency is a great way to enjoy red dot foods.
The Message
All foods can fit into a healthy diet and a healthy diet is made up of more GO foods than SLOW foods and more SLOW foods than WHOA foods. All foods can be eaten in moderation. In fact, it is even okay to eat a WHOA food every day.
We can all use the GO, SLOW, WHOA system to help our students make healthy food choices at school and at home.
All items on the school menu will now be identified and color coded as a GO, SLOW, or
WHOA food. Categorizing foods into these groups will help students understand what
kinds of foods they are eating and begin to balance the types of foods they eat.
WAIT!!!
If LIA’s and many schools’ color coding program says to limit foods with red dots, why do we serve them at all?
The GO, SLOW, WHOA message is that all foods have a place in a balanced diet, and that red dot foods should be enjoyed in moderation, balanced with yellow and green dot items. Simply not serving certain foods doesn't teach these principles to students and doesn't help them develop healthy eating habits. Many red dot foods are nutrient-dense. A slice of cheese pizza, for example, is packed with calcium, an essential nutrient for bone health. The key is to educate and create balanced and healthy eating habits.