Department of Public Health

Working Towards Healthier Eating in Schools

The Department of Public Health has created a comprehensive guidance document      to help school administrators, teachers, school nutrition service staff, school nurses, parents, students, booster clubs, PTAs/PTOs and others implement the Massachusetts School Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages. The guidance document includes links to resources and features numerous examples from schools across Massachusetts that have already successfully created healthier environments for their students.

Go Pats, Go Healthy

Trying to keep your New Year’s resolution to eat better? Worried about how to stick with it during the playoffs when there’s so many high-fat, high-calorie temptations on offer? Try this tasty, low-cost and easy-to-make  Red Pepper Dip Recipe     . It’s higher in vitamins and lower in calories than your average football season dip — and it’s red, white and blue in honor of the Pats!

DPH is partnering with a wide range of educational, medical, and student athletic organizations to build awareness on the impact of sports-related head injuries among student athletes. A key part of this effort are new regulations (PDF) requiring that all public middle and high schools as well as any school which is a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) implement policies addressing sports-related head injuries, including assuring that their student athletes, parents and school staff participate in concussion awareness training. The regulations also require that student athletes provide information on their history of concussion and be medically cleared to return to play after a concussion. More details are available here, including a fact sheet (PDF)  , updated FAQ (PDF)  , reporting forms, approved training materials, and more.

Eat Better. Move More. Start Today. Visit the Mass in Motion website to learn more. Also available: Mass in Motion en español and Mass in Motion em Português!