Welcome back to our All Foods Fit series! As part of our introduction to SAGE’s All Foods Fit campaign, we’ll be covering the different aspects of food in greater detail: fuel, culture, exploration, togetherness, and enjoyment.
As a reminder, our All Foods Fit philosophy means there are no “good” or “bad” foods because we eat many different foods for many different reasons. Food keeps us nutritionally balanced, provides the opportunity to explore other cultures and flavors, and allows us to create long-lasting memories and enjoy the dining experience.
Let’s look at how we use food for fuel. Food is the body’s source of energy — it nourishes us and is essential to life. Food supports us physically by:
- Promoting proper growth and development.
- Keeping us alert and focused.
- Supporting our immune system to prevent illness and injury.
- Helping us recover more quickly when we do get sick or injured.
- Maximizing our performance during exercise or physical activity.
- Building the foundation for long-term overall health and well-being.
SAGE offers two programs that educate communities on how food is fuel: the SAGE Spotlight Program® and Performance Spotlight®.
The SAGE Spotlight Program® provides nutrition education and guidance on how to fuel the body and focuses on creating a positive relationship with food. Each menu item is tagged with a Spotlight color based on its nutrient density. To calculate the nutrient density of a menu item, our Registered Dietitians use a formula that’s based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and aligns with Canada’s Dietary Guidelines. Much like our All Foods Fit philosophy, this nutrition program encourages students to practice variety, balance, and moderation while choosing foods they enjoy. Check out this video for more information about the SAGE Spotlight Program®.
Performance Spotlight® makes it easy for athletes and active students to fuel up. This nutrition guidance and education program — developed by SAGE’s Registered Dietitians — shows active students how to incorporate the necessary nutrients for proper fueling before, during, and after physical activity. Performance Spotlight® brings nutrition recommendations based on guidelines from the NCAA, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and current sports nutrition research right to your dining hall. Look for the Performance Spotlight® runner icon on menus online and in the Touch of SAGE® app and on signs in the dining hall. Watch our Performance Spotlight® video to learn more about the program.
Stay tuned for our next All Foods Fit blog where we’ll discuss how food and culture are connected!
