Decorah Community School District’s Nutrition Team recently received two Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards for improving the nutritional quality of their school meals.
Awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), Decorah received the Innovative School Lunch Makeover Award for work in reducing sodium levels by incorporating unprocessed proteins and fresh produce items into school lunch menus while increasing participation.
Decorah also received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award for the department’s addition of several scratch recipes on their breakfast and lunch menus. Decorah’s utilization of local ground beef, ground turkey, turkey, sour cream, heavy cream, milk, cheese, yogurt, whole wheat flour, eggs, apples, lettuce, cabbage, melon, kiwi berries, corn, peaches, potatoes, pears, cranberries, herbs, garlic, kale, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers in these menus showcases an incredible assortment of fresh and healthy meal choices for Decorah students.
“We congratulate Decorah’s Nutrition Staff,” said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Officer and 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, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “These Recognition Awards highlight the remarkable achievements made by Decorah’s Nutrition Team 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.
“I am grateful for the recognition of our hard-working staff and supportive community,” said Chad Elliott, Decorah Nutrition Director and Culinary Specialist.
As an award recipient, Decorah will receive national and local recognition and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas, NV. 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 working together to strengthen school meals and investment in a bright future for our children.
About USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC, and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being.
About Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving children’s health and well-being by bringing together and mobilizing educators, families, and other key stakeholders to help children lead healthy lives. Through its core programming and family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to address systemic challenges in underserved communities. In 2023, AFHK joined in a cooperative agreement with USDA Food and Nutrition to help implement the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, designed to improve the nutritional quality of school meals through food systems transformation, school food authority recognition, and technical assistance. To learn more about its growing network of volunteers and champions, visit: actionforhealthykids.org.
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