Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating Students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Educating Students in PreSchool through Grade 12
News Detail
Nutritionist Serves Up New Cafeteria Curriculum for the 2014-2015 School Year
With her nutrition expertise and food artistry skills, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Pam Galasso is serving up kid-friendly, well-balanced dining options to Hamden Hall's students. Click above to learn more about Pam and her cafeteria curriculum for the 2014-2015 school year.
Whether registered dietitian nutritionist Pam Galasso is feeding her own children or the children in the Hamden Hall community, she sticks to a basic tenet.
“I want children to have the experience that food should be enjoyable and should respond to our taste buds in a very simplistic manner,” said Pam, who earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Joseph University.
And with that in mind, Pam has been consulting Hamden Hall’s five-member Food Service Department led by Valerie Bossie. With her nutrition expertise and food artistry skills, Pam is excited to implement some new culinary ideas, some of which were garnered from student body feedback during the 2013-2014 school year.
Theme days will continue this school year and will always serve up an educational component in terms of teaching students about nutrition and balanced meals. Also on the menu are new product tastings, best practices for beverages, and unique cultural events that highlight the culinary delights associated with different cultures.
“Guiding students to eat balanced meals and snacks about 75 percent of the time and 25 percent for fun are steps used in creating healthy, fearless eaters,” maintained Pam, who has conducted type 2 diabetes research with the Yale University School of Nursing, taught breast cancer survivors how to eat and exercise following treatment, and served as an adjunct college professor. Additionally, Pam is the registered dietician nutritionist at The Children’s Center in Hamden, a residential treatment facility for youth from birth to age 18.
Back at Hamden Hall, Pam is focused on serving student-friendly dining options that will expand students’ palates but also take into account that adults and children have different needs.
“I try to remind parents that children have smaller stomachs and higher metabolic needs,” she explained. “Children need more frequent feedings and kid-friendly foods – we need to get kids to the plate and offer them a variety of options.”
In the days leading up to the start of school, Pam and Val Bossie met in the cafeteria to discuss just what those options would be.
“Getting students to the table for meals and inspiring them to eat balanced meals throughout the day is the plan. We want students to explore a variety of tasty foods to sustain them throughout the day as well as help them to meet the nutritional demands for after-school sports or community activities,” said Pam.
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
