Franklin Special District has received a Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award for improving the nutritional quality of school meals. Awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), FSD received the Breakfast Trailblazer Award for redesigning breakfast offerings to decrease sugar and sodium.
Breakfast Trailblazer Award winners are recognized for improving the nutritional quality of their school breakfast menus by meeting specific criteria, including limiting added sugars and implementing student engagement and/or nutrition education.
“We have eliminated pop-tarts and breakfast pastries while adding fresh vegetable options,” said Food and Culinary Services (FCS) Supervisor Robbin Cross. “We have been surprised to see the number of students choosing fresh raw veggies to eat with sausage biscuits, eggs, or pancakes.”
However, Cross said that specialty offerings have not been completely eliminated. “We offer a special treat like freshly baked cinnamon rolls once a week. Our cereal and yogurt choices have been changed to low-sugar options. Students love our yogurt parfaits and smoothies now made with low-sugar Greek yogurt.”
“In all FSD cafeterias, we strive to provide our students with healthy, fresh, colorful food they enjoy and want to eat,” Cross said. “This award validates our hard work and encourages us to make additional changes in our program to provide our students with the best possible breakfast and lunch options.”
As an award recipient, FSD will receive national and local recognition and travel stipends to attend a Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas, NV.
“We congratulate Franklin Special District on this important achievement,” said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Officer & President for Action for Healthy Kids. “The HMI Recognition Awards are an opportunity to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritious school meals,” he added.
“One of America’s best opportunities to improve child health is by supporting schools in providing tasty and nutritious meals,” said Cindy Long, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administrator. “This Recognition Award highlights the remarkable achievements Franklin Special District has made in offering nutritious meals that students enjoy, and we look forward to them sharing their best practices to help other schools follow in their footsteps.” Long added that each school day, USDA school meal programs reach around 30 million children from all communities and backgrounds across the country.
AFHK is recognizing school districts that have improved the nutritional quality of their school meals as part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA FNS’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. The Recognition Awards spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies schools have used to provide meals consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Healthy school meals are an essential part of the school environment and a proven tool for improving a child’s health, growth, development, and educational outcomes. AFHK and USDA are committed to strengthening school meals and investing in a bright future for our children.
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