School lunches can be difficult for parents to manage. We’ve all heard the complaints that kids aren’t eating what they’re supposed to or that they’re getting too much sugar. And while many schools are doing a good job of helping families meet their children’s nutrition needs, it’s still a challenge for some families to get their children to eat what’s being served in the cafeteria.

That’s where the School Nutrition Association (SNA) comes in. This organization offers resources and support for parents who want to make sure their children are eating healthy foods while in school. If you’re concerned that your child isn’t eating properly, SNA offers these tips to help you get your child to eat what you prepare for lunch.

Tip 1: Create a positive, nutritious lunch environment for your child.

The first thing you need to do is create a positive lunchroom environment. Make sure your child sees and hears other kids eating healthy foods, and that everyone’s lunch is labeled. Also, make sure that the serving containers for the food are attractive and appealing to kids.

Tip 2: Provide a balanced meal.

Next, you should provide a balanced meal for your child. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Your child will likely eat better if you serve a variety of foods, too. Avoid serving just a few options, such as pizza, mac and cheese, or a hot dog.

Tip 3: Make lunchtime fun.

Finally, make lunchtime fun. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make this happen. Just include activities that encourage kids to try new foods and stay healthy. For example, you could set up a table with snacks, or you could have a kid-friendly game to play while everyone is eating.

Remember that a healthy diet includes many different foods. Try to offer a variety of foods so your child has a chance to try new things.

School lunches have become a contentious issue for many parents in recent years. While many schools offer nutritious meals, some parents have complained that their children are eating too much processed food. This has led to a push for school lunch standards that encourage healthier food options.

In response to this push, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in November 2018 issued new meal regulations that require local schools to provide three meals per day to students, which are required to be balanced and nutritious. In addition, the new rules require schools to offer a wider variety of foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, meat and meat alternatives, legumes, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. Schools are also allowed to serve foods that contain more sodium and sugar than allowed under the current guidelines.

The PDES’s school nutrition director, Susan Mancini, said that in the new guidelines, the department is encouraging schools to “embrace an approach that emphasizes choice and promotes the healthfulness of the school meal program.” To that end, the new regulations provide several options for schools to meet their nutritional goals. For example, they allow for a choice of fruit, vegetable or side salad, and a serving of pasta or rice, as long as the total amount of grains does not exceed the daily limit. Students can also opt to have milk or water, and they can opt to have meat or fish as a protein.

However, not everyone is pleased with the new guidelines. Some parents in the Pottstown School District, which includes Pottstown and nearby boroughs, are upset that the new guidelines do not include any specific guidelines for the sale of snacks or drinks in the school cafeteria. In fact, the rules do not address the sale of candy, cookies, ice cream, soda or other non-nutritious beverages, although they do require schools to make healthy food options available to students during school hours.

“We are very concerned that the regulations don’t take into consideration the health and wellness of our children, as well as the environment,” said Susan Mancini, the school nutrition director. “We want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students, so we’ve developed a menu that meets those needs. The regulations, though, do not reflect the menus we are currently offering.”

Mancini added that the school district will continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to develop the menus and will share them with the public.
The district, which serves more than 3,000 students, offers the following meals: breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.; lunch is offered from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Snacks are offered at both breakfast and lunch, but are not required.

While the new meal regulations do not specifically require schools to sell snacks and beverages, they do allow schools to do so. The district, however, does not plan to do so, saying that it will instead offer fresh fruit, vegetable and side salads, whole grain breads and pastas, and low-fat dairy products, as well as fruit, juice and milk.

To provide students with more choices, the district will also offer a second lunch option for students who opt to pay $1.25 more per day. The extra money goes to cover the cost of a nutritious meal, which Mancini said should be healthier than the regular lunch.

Mancini also said that the school district is in the process of developing menus that will meet the new guidelines. She hopes to share those with the public in the next few weeks.

Is a knife useful or harmful?

Knives can be used to cut food but have sharp edges that can inflict injury. They should be used carefully as they can cut into any part of your body. You should never sharpen a knife beyond its edge. Knives come in many different materials. Some are more expensive than others.

Sharp knives are more susceptible to injury

Research has shown that knives can cause more injury than other hand tools. Knives are known to cause strain and sprain injuries. You also need to use a lot force to cut them. Also, workers are not always taking enough breaks in order to prevent injury.

Sharp injuries occur when a sharp piece of metal or a knife penetrates the skin. They can cause severe injury and damage to many organs, such as the liver, the brain, and even the heart.  In the worst case scenario, a knife or a piece of metal can penetrate deeper into the skin and may result in damage to the underlying tissue, organs, and muscles.

Sharper knives will reduce the risk of injury to the musculoskeletal and orthopedic joints. Additionally, a sharper knife will make it easier to finish a task than a duller. Also, clean cuts will heal quicker with a bandage. While jagged cuts will require stitches,

It is possible to avoid injury by using the knife correctly. When you’re cutting food, keep your fingers from the blades. You should use a special tool for opening cans or boxes, and always keep your knife in a safe place when not in use. You should not panic if you cut yourself accidentally while cutting food.  Minor cuts can easily be treated with soap, water, and antibiotic cream. You also have the option to use a bandage.

Plain edge blades are better suited for push-through cuts

When determining which edge type to buy, consider your own personal preference, as well as the task you will be performing. For most daily tasks, a simple edge blade will work well. Serrated and in-between edges blades are better suited for more pressing and slicing tasks. If you are a skilled knife user, you may prefer a plain edge knife, especially if you can create micro serrations with practice.

Both types are great at cutting different kinds of material. The plain edge is better suited for push-through cuts, as it allows for a cleaner, more precise cut. But serrated edge knives are more suitable for slicing. This requires a slower motion. 

Combo-edged blades are also very popular. These blades combine a plain edge with a serrated section near the handle. Combo edged knives can be both convenient and problematic.  The plain edge section can make a clean and quick cut, but the serrated section is more likely to dull if used repeatedly.

Serrated edges are better at cutting wood, rope, as well as other tough materials. These can also be used for cutting woody stemmed plants.

Although durable, skeleton handles can be slippery.

To reduce weight, skeleton handles consist of a hollowed-out or removed tang. To improve grip, it is wrapped in parachute cord or another material. While skeleton handles are durable, they can also be slippery. To provide extra grip, premium knife makers may add bumps or ridges on the handles, especially in cold climates.

Bamboo and plastic are cheaper materials for cutting boards

Bamboo and plastic are cheaper materials for cutting boards but they are less durable and require maintenance. Bamboo boards can split easily and cause splinters in food. These materials might be a good option if money is tight and you don’t need a cutting board of high quality.

Although wooden boards look great, they can be quite expensive. A slab made of solid hardwood can be as high as $300, and the price ranges from $100 to $300. Wooden boards require regular care, which includes oiling with food-grade mineral oils. Plastic cutting boards may be practical and cheap for everyday use but they do not look very attractive. Plastic boards are less expensive, but there are concerns about the health-related and environmental consequences of plastic.

Bamboo is another cheaper material for cutting boards, but it doesn’t have the same aesthetic appeal as wood. Bamboo is less susceptible to moisture and will shrink more easily. Plastic boards can also be not recycled. They will remain in landfills over thousands of years and pollute ground water with leachate.

Bamboo and plastic are less expensive materials, but they should be thoroughly cleaned before use. The dishwasher can clean plastic and bamboo boards, while wooden boards will need to be cleaned manually. Vinegar can be used to disinfect wood boards. Alternately, you can use half a lemon with a pinch of salt. Both can be used as a way to remove stains or odors. Before storing your boards, dry them thoroughly after you have used them.

Serrated blades will be more useful for those tasks that require you to make a lot of’sawing motions’

Serrated blades are designed to create a saw-like cutting edge. They can also be used for ‘backwards and forwards’ motions. These blades are perfect for cutting through cloth, ropes, belts, and other similar tasks. They can also be used on soft materials like bread.

Sharpen serrated blades at a lower level than straight edges should be done occasionally. Use a sharpening device with a serrated edge to ensure that it is not hacked with a flat rock. Instead, use a cylindrical fine diamond steel or ceramic sharpener.

For serrated blades to remain sharp, you will need special sharpening instruments. They may not cut as smoothly as straight edge knives and pose a higher risk of injury. Not all jobs require serrated blades.

A chef’s knives is an example of a knife with a serrated blade. The serrated tip of the knife pierces the skin before reaching the main blade. The chef’s knife is not a combat weapon, nor a tool. It’s not designed to use extreme force, impact, motion, or other extreme actions.

Serrated blades are also better suited for cutting tough materials. Serrated blades are usually thinner than plain edged blades and can tear the material that they are cutting. Additionally, serrated blades require more effort to sharpen.

Rusty knives could cause injury 

While rusty knives may not seem to be a problem at first, it can lead to serious problems if the problem isn’t addressed. This type of corrosion can damage your knife, making it difficult to use the knife again. There are several options to get rid off rust from your knife. To remove rust, you can soak your knife in lemon juice. This requires that you soak the knife for at least 10 minutes in warm water with lemon-juice. Make sure your cup is tall enough for the knife to fit in, and soak it for at least 10 minutes.

Rusting occurs when water binds with the iron in your knives. Stainless steel knives are protected from corrosion by a protective outer layer made of chromium. This layer of chromium binds with oxygen to form a protective outer layer that protects your knife from rust. Carbon steel knives are less resistant to rust.

Avoid leaving your knives out in the rain to prevent rust. Always clean and dry knives after use. Apply some maintenance oil, if it is possible.

A commonly asked query by property owners, building owners and those accountable for managing fire safety is– can I do my own fire risk analysis?

In this blog post, we’re going to reveal why it is possible– but may not always be the appropriate choice to make. Who are we?  Find Out More

The short answer is ‘Without a doubt – you can execute your own fire risk analysis’, there is nothing stopping you from Googling an online design template for a fire risk assessment and filling out the areas to define your structure, what you do, and any risks you can identify from the limited understanding you have. If in doubt get in touch  Pyro Fire

You could possibly even do your own research, perhaps even attend a fire safety program. This may have been appropriate prior to 2005, as the fire service used to check out your building and carry out an audit to provide you with a fire certificate. Having said that, since then, the criteria and law for fire safety became much more stringent and things changed substantially.

The law for fire safety – The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which was in fact introduced in 2006– was created to reform fire safety in England & Wales, to introduce the need for a suitable and sufficient fire risk evaluation to be carried out for all non-domestic premises.

The words ‘suitable and sufficient’ when used in law, were undoubtedly brought under examination, but the definition has since been made very obvious:
A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment can only be carried out by a competent person.

‘Competent’ can be defined as somebody with enough training, credentials, experience and attitude. A competent person must have obtained specific training in relation to fire risk assessments, they must have some form of qualification to back that up, experience in assessing your type of building, and the proper attitude to ensure they’re able to communicate the results effectively. All of the above can be achieved for your fire risk evaluation by using external inspectors.

Find out More about our Fire risk assessments  Fire Risk Assessment