Parents ask: Can we have healthy food for literacy night?

Listen to Parents

Editor’s note: Parents and families and school all say they’d like healthy food at family and school events, such as back-to-school day and literacy night. The problem is how to pay for it, and how to plan for it. At Ashley Elementary, the least expensive food to provide is pizza and lemonade. Groups such as the Denver Superfoods Program have offered to assist with making healthier meals for these events, and charge only the extra cost required. Students at the school have asked to fundraise to make healthier foods more possible, and some groups have given positive responses. But money is only part of the problem. The turnout for the Literacy Night was strong, but poor weather later on in the fall meant few parents arrived for the next parent event. This kind of challenge makes it harder to plan and invest time in getting healthier foods at schools. Ashley Elementary has kept at it, though, and has created a Wellness Committee that meets on average once a month to talk over events where the school can plan for healthier foods.