Nutrition News

The Colorado Departments of Agriculture and Education would like to invite Colorado schools to participate in the annual Colorado Proud School Meal Day on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. This is a day to celebrate Colorado agriculture and to educate schoolchildren about healthy eating.

In order to encourage eating habits that will promote a lifetime of optimal health, it is essential to teach children about the importance of eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Proper nutrition is critical if our educational programs and our students are going to continue to excel.

Colorado farmers and ranchers produce food items that provide the nutrients children and adults need to thrive. Agribusinesses contribute $47 billion to the state economy annually and provide more than 195,000 jobs. With more than 38,000 farms and ranches encompassing 31 million acres, it is easy to understand the value this industry adds to Colorado.

Mountain Freshies collaborates with family farms based in and around the North Fork Valley. By supporting your local agricultural community, you help small farmers continue to do the important work they love. Knowing your farmer and understanding how and where your food is produced not only leads to better health, it also helps protect natural resources and is an important investment in our collective future.

World Food Day, on October 16th, is a great opportunity to introduce students to diverse cultures and promote global awareness through food. The theme for World Food Day 2025 is "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future," which focuses on the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life.

We are asking that all outstanding lunch balances be paid promptly to support our programs' finances. Funding lunch accounts can be paid through e~Funds:

Here are a few helpful hints to get started:

• You will need your child's lunch/student ID number to make a payment.

• Click here for the e~Funds payment site

You can still make payments at the main office during registration days, or at any lunch room cashier but setting up an account and paying in advance will save time and give you an opportunity to see a breakdown of your fees in advance.

• Click HERE for information on how to set up an e~Funds account

• Click HERE for the e~Funds payment website

• How to Check your Student lunch account transactions

You can still make payments directly to a Food Service Cashier at any school cafeteria with cash or check, but setting up an account and paying in advance will save time and give you an opportunity to see a breakdown of your lunch activity in advance. I would like to encourage parents and caregivers to have conversations with your student/s regarding you and your families lunch and a la carte participation. As a school requirement we can not deny a student taking a hot lunch, note that any hot lunch taken by your student/s will be charged to their account.

At Aspen School District we work hard to ensure that students’ minds and bodies are ready for learning each day. In addition to the hard work our teachers and staff do every day to prepare students for success in the classroom, we can also work to encourage healthy eating and physical

activity, leading them to lifelong success. By helping them start healthy habits early in life, we can help reduce our children's health risks and increase their chances for longer, more productive lives.