September 2022                                                  Volume 18 Issue 6



Back to School....

It's "back to school" and time to be thinking and planning for healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks for your kids. Let's talk about snacking.

We recommend that snacks be limited to 200-300 calories, low in fat and containing both a protein and carbohydrate source. Plus water for the hot Houston climate. Many kids have after school sports and activities so planning and packing smart snacks needs preparation.  See Amanda's article for great ideas.  

Parents, to ensure healthy after school snacks, you need to have them handy and ready to eat in the fridge and in your home. Our motto "if you have healthy foods available kids will eat them, likewise if all the choices are not so healthy, they will eat those too.

Oliver Foundation Healthy Choices Grant

Deadline October 15, 2022

Apply Now

Texas Obesity Awareness Week Lunch and Learn

Thursday Sept 15, 2022 - 11:30am-1pm 

This year, the Partnership for a Healthy Texas and the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living will be presenting a virtual lunch and learn targeting legislators on Thursday, September 15th. The focus of the briefing will be to provide data-driven information and facts on obesity in Texas to state legislators as they prepare for the 2023 legislative session. The event will be held virtually from 11:30 to 1:00 pm central time. 

Register here

Implementing New TEKS and New SHAC Tules  

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 11:30am 

New rules for SHACs and new TEKS were introduced during 2021-22 school year. Learn how different districts have implemented these new rules and what process they went through to approve new curriculum for health and physical education. 

Register here. 

SAVE THE DATES! TX AFHK Annual Summit 

November 15-16, 2022 

Make plans to join us on November 15-16 for learning sessions, networking and connecting with schools and districts across the state. We will have a youth panel, an update on plans for the upcoming legislative session as well as sessions on mental health in schools, School Health Advisory Councils, challenges of teen vaping and more! This will be a FREE Event

Reaching for Excellence (RFE) in Texas

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) invites public and charter schools to apply for the Reaching for (RFE) in Texas School Health Grant, two $10,000 grants will be awarded for the 2023-2024 school year. The goal of the RFE grants is to fund projects that inspire students to live healthier lives. Projects must focus on at least one key component of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model.

Attend one of three informational webinars in September to learn more about the application process. The application will open on September 1, 2022, and close November 14, 2022. Click on the link below for more information and to apply.

https://dshs.texas.gov/schoolhealth/awards/

Join the TX SHAC Network

School districts and campuses must consider the health of children as we move forward after the pandemic. SHACs are the best way to make sure parents and community members have a voice in how health issues are addressed. If you are concerned about child health, you need to be involved with your School District’s SHAC. Find out more by joining the Texas SHAC Network

Check out our newly TX SHAC Network website, where you can find information on the laws that govern SHAC, resources for wellness policies and more!

Siddharth Satish, Teen Board Member

Clements High School - Sugar Land , Texas 

Teen Board Member 2021 - Present

Siddharth "Sid"is a junior at Clements High School. He plays badminton, basketball, football and participates in many tournaments for them. Sid also plays the western and carnatic flute to practice classical music in both European and Indian forms. He is an avid spelling enthusiast who has represented his school at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Sid has won awards in Science Fair and Science Olympiad in middle school. He has also volunteered at many places such as the Houston Food Bank and fundraising functions/events.    

Keeping Healthy for The School Year!

Some of us are either going back to school soon or have already started school this year. As high schoolers, time management coupled with an ideal healthy lifestyle is essential to survive throughout all four years of high school. Many students feel stressed simply due to the sheer amount of work and pressure put on them not only by the teachers but also by fellow classmates. Competition is evident in almost every sphere of life in some form or other. Personally, at my high school, I feel deeply inclined and pressured to do well in my studies and succeed as a student. 

One of the key routines I follow to help me perform better in school and to help me stay calm is having a nutritious high protein meal before leaving for school along with some sort of fruit to enhance my energy and concentration. I also make sure I drink water throughout the day.

A steady sleep time schedule is vital for our well-being. Our rest pattern is directly related to behavior, eating disorders, and how our bodies can fight off any disease or illness. Sleep deprivation induces a craving for junk and processed food and this frequently results in mood swings, and uncontrolled anger--​this is a health hazard to all. 

Another undesirable habit that most of us are addicted to is screen time! As young adults, most of us are inclined to use gadgets and our cell phones constantly to check if we have notifications from all sorts of applications. Reducing overall screen time during the school year will eventually help us concentrate more on our studies and this shall have a healthy impact on our character/behavior towards the outside world. 

I wish and fervently hope the above said lifestyle shall make a positive impact on all of us! 

Sid Satish

September 2022

Teen Board Recipe

Jenna Chuan

Co-Event Coordinator

Apple Chips

Ingredients:

-       3 large apples

-       ¾ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Wash the apples. With an apple corer, very small cookie cutter, or the round side of a metal piping tip, core the apples. With a mandolin (recommended) or a very sharp knife, slice the apples horizontally into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.
3. Arrange the apples in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 1 hour in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Remove the baking sheets and switch the pans’ position on the upper and lower racks. Continue baking for 1 to 1 1/2 additional hours, until a single apple chip removed from the oven is crisp when set out at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes (to test the apple chips, remove a single apple slice but let the others continue baking). Once you are happy with the crispness, turn off the oven and let the apples sit in the oven for 1 hour as it cools down to crisp further (unless you fear you overcooked them, in which case remove the pan immediately and let it sit at room temperature).