Jan. 12, 2012

CONTACT:
Communications Department
(320) 251-2700, ext. 74980

Sartell-St. Stephen schools first in state to offer NuVal®

St. Cloud, Minn. – The Sartell-St. Stephen middle and high schools will incorporate the NuVal® Nutrition Scoring System in the a la carte and vending lines Jan. 18 to help students and faculty improve their health by making it easy to identify the more nutritional food choices. The initiative was made possible thanks to a $28,000 grant given by the Medica Foundation making Sartell-St. Stephen the first school in Minnesota and the second in the nation to offer the scoring system to students.

The NuVal® Nutrition Scoring System was developed by David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and a dozen of the world’s leading minds in health and nutrition. It gives food and beverage items a score from 1 to 100; the higher the score, the higher the nutrition. The system takes more than 30 different nutrients into account when developing a score.

Over the past 15 years, the obesity rate in Minnesota has increased by 73 percent, with one in four adults currently suffering from obesity. “By listing the overall nutritional value of the food they eat in plain sight, students and faculty can see, at a glance, how nutritious the foods are that they are choosing, hopefully prompting them to make more healthful choices,” said Jodi Rohe, BLEND (Better Living Exercise & Nutrition Daily) program coordinator. “We aren’t trying to be the food police and won’t be dictating what students should purchase. What we want to do is inform students, parents and faculty about the NuVal® food scoring system and in doing so empower them to trade up for better health.”

“Our vision of excellence is holistic and promotes the attributes of quality life-enriching behaviors,” said Joe Hill, PhD, superintendent of Sartell schools. “We believe that each child deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged. I am very excited to be a part of this exciting partnership.”

“At the Medica Foundation, we believe that providing kids with nutritional information along with support from family, school and food suppliers is key to helping kids make thoughtful choices,” said Rob Longendyke, executive director of the Medica Foundation. “The Medica Foundation appreciates the opportunity to support this effort as we are always looking for innovative ways to help kids stay healthy.”

The NuVal® Nutritional Scoring System also is available in 29 Coborn’s stores across the Midwest including eight stores in the St. Cloud area.

BLEND (Better Living: Exercise and Nutrition Daily), is a coalition of medical professionals, policy makers, educators, health care advocates, and parents who are committed to improving the health of children in the St. Cloud area by reducing the epidemic of childhood obesity. The project is funded by the CentraCare Health Foundation and collaborates with a large group of medical, educational and non-profit organizations. The coalition began in 2006 and has identified four main areas of focus: Physical Activity, Nutrition, Medical Community and Advocacy. By coordinating resources and efforts in each focus area, BLEND is working to make a significant impact on childhood obesity. Learn more about BLEND

The Medica Foundation
The Medica Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable grant-making foundation. It is an affiliate of Medica Health Plans, a Minnesota-based nonprofit Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). The Medica Foundation generally seeks to fund community-based programs and initiatives that can provide sustainable, measurable improvements in the availability, access and quality of health care.

Coborn’s, Incorporated, is celebrating 89 years of serving Central Minnesota. The St. Cloud-based company is employee owned, and operates 39 Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods and Save-A-Lot grocery stores in the Upper Midwest. The company also owns and operates convenience, liquor, video stores, pharmacies, CobornsDelivers online grocery and home delivery service, a central bakery, central dry cleaning facility, central commissary, long term care pharmacy and its own grocery distribution center. The company employs more than 6,500 workers in six states.

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