Guiding Stars Program at Hillside Middle School

Post date: Feb 4, 2012 6:33:39 AM

Hillside Middle School continues to offer a program, called Guiding Stars, in the school cafeteria. The program was implemented in February 2012. The Guiding Stars program provides information that will assist each student in making nutritious food choices. Taste testings and classes have been added occasionally to remind the students that the Guiding Stars program is available to them.

Guiding Stars is an objective food rating system that rates food based on nutrient density using a scientific algorithm. Rated foods are marked with easy-to-follow tags indicating 0, 1, 2, or 3 stars. Foods are rated according to its nutritional value. The higher the nutritional value, the more Guiding Stars it receives. If a food does not receive a star, it means it does not meet our rigorous criteria. As the student navigates through the cafeteria at lunchtime, the Guiding Stars system will help them identify healthier food choices. Guiding Stars is not intended to tell students what to buy. Instead, the system points them toward foods that have more vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, whole grains and less fats, cholesterol, sugar and sodium.

Hillside parents/guardians are invited to talk their children about Guiding Stars and discuss how they make nutritious food choices. Guiding Stars is a great beginning to an important conversation about healthy food choices. Visit www.guidingstars.com for more information.