Provider Quality

Health Plan’s Newest ‘Lunchology’ Menu Offers Creative, Fun Menus to Help Fuel Families on the Go this Fall

NYS PTA Survey Reveals Parents Welcome Healthy Snack Ideas 

NEW YORK (October 6, 2021 ) – Fidelis Care, in partnership with New York City Football Club, is launching its newest “Lunchology” menu, featuring healthy, fun, and creative recipe ideas to help fuel busy families on the go – particularly as a new school year begins. 

“Fidelis Care is proud to share our latest Lunchology menu, developed in partnership with New York City FC,” said Chief Member Engagement Officer, Pam Hassen. “These recipes are both kid- and parent-friendly, as well as fun and easy to make as a family. We’re proud to be a resource for health and wellness in the communities we serve.”

The statewide health plan is celebrating the 5^th year of its popular Lunchology program, which began in 2016 as a way to help families across New York State make good nutrition a priority. From breakfast and school lunch ideas, to quick and healthy dinners and snacks, the more than 50 Lunchology recipes have provided a helpful resource for hundreds of families over the years – all while encouraging quality time together, inspiring creativity in the kitchen, and promoting healthy, affordable choices.

The new Lunchology menu was developed by Chef Matt Gottlieb, Sous Chef Lalo Ortega, and Registered Dietician Elizabeth Canepari, and includes tasty breakfast ideas like overnight oats and a French toast casserole; easy-to-make meals like homemade chicken nuggets and taco zucchini boats; and a special dessert - healthy ice cream made from bananas. 

To better understand the challenges facing families today, Fidelis Care also collaborated with the New York State Parent Teacher Association (NYSPTA) to survey parents about how their children’s eating habits have been impacted during the COVID pandemic, as well as their top concerns around nutrition as kids return to school. 

The survey revealed that more than 60% of parents are concerned that their child developed unhealthy eating habits during the pandemic, while nearly 84% think their child would eat better if they had access to more healthy, nutritious, and inexpensive recipes. One major concern voiced by families is that their child’s habits around unhealthy snacking is a problem. 

“Families continue to look for healthy and affordable meal and snack options for their children,” offered NYS PTA President Dana Platin. “Alarmingly, many families face food insecurity, and its critically important to give support as they support their children’s health and wellness. We look forward to working with Fidelis Care and NYCFC to continue to support our state’s children.”

 “We’re excited to provide families with easy and fun recipes that will help fuel kids to run, jump, and play just like the players on the field,” added Chef Matt Gottlieb, Executive Chef for New York City FC. “Here at NYCFC, we understand that a healthy diet is essential for the overall health and well-being of our bodies, especially for active, growing kids. We hope that with these recipes, families can enjoy quality time and understand that eating healthy can be fun!”

To view the new Lunchology menu online and download a printable copy, visit www.fideliscare.org/lunchology . The menu is also available in Spanish.

About Fidelis Care:

Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 2.3 million members statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance.  Follow us on Twitter at @fideliscare, Instagram at @fideliscare, and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

About New York City Football Club:

New York City Football Club (NYCFC) is an American professional soccer team that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference of the League. It was announced as the League's 20th franchise on May 21, 2013 and is the first and only MLS Club located within the five boroughs of New York City. NYCFC kicked off its inaugural MLS season in March 2015 and is majority owned by City Football Group (CFG). In 2019, the Club finished top of the Eastern Conference and qualified for the 2020 Concacaf Champions League for the first time in franchise history. NYCFC’s Academy features teams from the U-12 to U-19 age groups and became the first Academy in the country to win back-to-back national titles at the U-19 level. NYCFC proudly supports City in the Community (CITC) foundation to use the power of soccer to uplift communities; one of the programs, New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI) is a first-of-its-kind public-private community partnership to open 50 mini-soccer pitches in underserved NYC neighborhoods in five years.