Better lunch: Healthy Kids Collaborative
The Healthy Kids Collaborative is working to improve nutrition in the Staples-Motley schools. The daily meals won’t change much, but kids will be more informed and aware of the healthy choices in the lunch line.
Kayla Miller, Lakewood Health System’s Community Health Project Coordinator, said studies have shown that kids will take a piece of fruit more often if the fruit is in a basket. That’s one of the suggestions she is making to both the public schools and Sacred Heart Area School as the Healthy Kids Collaborative kicked off a ‘Smart Lunchroom Scorecard’ assessment in the schools.
Miller and Elizabeth Quillo of the U of M Extension spent a lunch period in each of the area schools and are getting feedback from students and staff with recommendations on how to improve lunch.
Sacred Heart suggested more artwork, signage and were in favor of more creative naming so that students would be more interested in what they’re eating.
One innovative idea is to photograph local athletes shown with healthy food and placing the posters in the lunchrooms.
The scorecard keepers said the school already has healthier meals, thanks to Food Service Director Shelly Miller.
“Shelly does an awesome job,” said Quillo. “The high school has a great salad bar, our main suggestion was to add more color and variety of vegetables.”
Quillo said nutrition education is a large part of the Healthy Kids program, so that students can recognize where their meal fits on the “My Plate” guidelines set by the USDA. She said she will be providing more education to the students during the school year.
