Diced pears or cling peaches? Orange juice or apple juice?
Healthy eating will soon be much easier for students in the Ansonia public schools, as their cafeterias will feature the NuVal® Nutritional Scoring System, a unique and revolutionary way of comparing the foods we eat.
Starting in January, foods sold at all Ansonia public schools will be labeled with a “NuVal Score,” a number between 1 and 100 that determines the nutritional value of the food; the higher the NuVal Score, the better the overall nutrition.
NuVal Scores will be found on popular cafeteria meals as well as on a la carte items such as drinks, crackers, vegetables, and desserts.
For students who are just learning how to make nutritional choices, NuVal offers quick and simple information to help them make the right selection. By putting scores on food items such as Rice Krispie Treats (NuVal Score 3), Grape juice (NuVal Score 16), and strawberry yogurt (NuVal Score 41), students are provided with the opportunity to make an educated decision.
Assisting with the Ansonia school launch is grocery retailer Big Y Foods. Since launching the NuVal Scoring System throughout their stores in 2010, Big Y has actively educated consumers throughout the state of Connecticut about using NuVal Scores to trade up their weekly groceries.
“Offering NuVal Scores at Ansonia Schools is a wonderful way to engage students and staff with their own nutrition and health. At Big Y, we’re excited to continue the discussion and maintain the enthusiasm around NuVal Scores by showing families throughout the Valley how easy it is to trade up their grocery carts one food at a time” said Carrie Taylor, RDN, LDN the Lead Dietitian for Big Y’s Living Well Eating Smart Wellness Team.
Ansonia is one of several Connecticut school systems to adopt the NuVal System, the others being in Derby and Mansfield. NuVal Scores are also available at cafeterias in Missouri, Minnesota, and Tennessee.
Funding to support the implementation of NuVal in the Ansonia School District was provided by a grant from the Connecticut State Department of Education.
