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I have been forgetting to write about the very cool gardening and scratch cooking movement that’s quietly happening in DPS.  It’s something I wholeheartedly support, since I believe that we’ve substituted whole foods for high-fructose corn syrup and fats…all for the sake of convenience.

High-fructose corn syrup is particularly dangerous to Hispanics because of the way the liver processes it.  HFCS is showing to be a factor in diabetes, a disease that is on the rise among Latinos.  The fact that the district’s food service department is open to on-site cooking and whole foods means that they’re serious about the health of our kids.  It’s hard for sick kids to learn.

Anyway, Secretary Tom Vilsack of the USDA is coming to Centennial Elementary in northwest Denver. From the district:

US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom VilSach will be making a special visit to Centennial K-8 School this Thursday at 1:30 p.m.  The USDA has heard many good things about nutrition programs in place at DPS schools, and the Secretary would like to see for himself how our schools are promoting healthy eating and nutrition education.

Centennial is a fantastic choice for a visit – lots of amazing programs going on, including a garden, a garden-to-cafeteria program (includes salad bar), and the school is one of the district’s scratch cooking sites.

Secretary VilSach will take an informal tour of the school, cafeteria and garden and speak with Centennial staff about the nutrition programs in place.

Cool!

Visit the district’s food service website (Leo Lesh is a rock star, by the way.)