Dalskóli students learn about the food wheel
Students at Dalskóli learned about the food wheel and new dietary recommendations from the Office of the Director of Health. Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir and Director of Health María Heimisdóttir met with the school's eighth-grade students today, discussed nutrition and hung a new poster showing the food wheel and recommendations on the classroom wall.
Dried fish is a great snack!
The mayor talked about the importance of dietary variety and listening to your body and eating what makes you feel good. There's a reason school meals aren't just pizza and hamburgers! Heiða Björg encouraged the students to drink water and take vitamin D, and reminded them that dried fish (stockfish) makes a great snack — at least she thinks so, though the smell might not be popular at school.
"It's important to enjoy eating and take time to eat," the mayor said.
The Director of Health reminded the teens that what they eat matters and encouraged them to do what's best for themselves. She explained that the recommendations aren't strict rules but rather what's best to do most of the time and what should be eaten more sparingly.
"Look at this, show it at home and take part in deciding what to have for your meals," María said, encouraging students to practice "making good decisions right away."
More vegetables and fruits
The main changes in the updated guidelines, introduced earlier this year, include more emphasis on vegetables, fruits and whole grains while reducing the focus on red meat, milk and dairy products. Many people know the phrase "five a day," but now the recommendation is to eat five to eight servings of fruits and vegetables daily and preferably three servings of whole grains. The guidelines recommend eating no more than 350 grams of red meat per week or consuming more than 350 to 500 ml of milk and dairy products daily.