McConnell is director of food and nutrition services for Fairfax County Public Schools, offering wholesome meals to nearly 178,000 students. She was recently named one of eight recipients of the American Dietetic Association’s Medallion Award for 2011. Have to ask: What did you eat for lunch today?
I had a salad! Tuna and green peas on a bed of greens. I also had a tangerine as a side dish. I would have had milk, but I had milk with breakfast. I always have my banana and bran muffin with peanut butter on it.
Were you a healthy eater growing up?
Yes, I was. In the house I grew up in, we always had a lot of fruits and vegetables, and we drank milk. Soft drinks were a treat — holidays only — and we had a family garden. Even when raising my own son, soft drinks were a treat, but I’ve never believed there are good or bad foods. We just have to be cognizant of the role they play in our bodies, and that moderation is good.
What are some of the biggest barriers to nutritional eating for area kids? And what can we do?
A lot of times, working parents are not able to be food-role models. When I grew up, we didn’t have the convenience foods. Now, if you have to take a child to soccer practice, gosh, you might not get home until 8 p.m., and you might stop for fast food, so the lifestyle is very different today. But on the weekend, even working parents can do food prep so dinner is readily available throughout the week. In this cool weather, you could make a nice pot of soup or chili, and freeze it in family-size packages. And buying fresh fruit and vegetables is so important — our children need much more of those than they get!
– Lisa Gartner
