Schools across the country are making big changes in the cafeteria this year as a result of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s updated nutrition standards for school meals. However, many schools have been successfully serving healthier meals that students enjoy since before the new standards were put in place.
The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project talked to five school districts across the country to find out how they did it. From introducing garden bars, to collaborating with local farmers and incorporating nutrition into lesson plans, these districts found creative ways to address their unique challenges.
 | Georgia: Carrollton City faced many challenges but overcame them to bring up student fruit consumption by 40 percent. Learn More |
 | Hawaii: Hawaii schools have successfully moved to selling healthier foods and beverages while controlling costs. Learn More |
 | Kentucky: Montgomery County, KY, school kids ate twice as much lettuce when they began growing it themselves. Learn More |
| Mississippi: Buy-in is key: Principals, health staff, superintendents in Lamar County, MS, work together for healthy meals. Learn More |
 | Wisconsin: It’s all about choices. How West Salem, WI, schools make healthy meals to please students from first grade on up. Learn More |
"All over the region, little pockets of activity are coalescing into a collaborative Food Revolution a la Jamie Oliver, the British chef who champions healthier food in schools and elsewhere. Last fall at the One Young World conference held here, he challenged Pittsburgh to revamp its eating habits -- and Pittsburgh's delegates took him seriously."
More info"With childhood obesity — and other health issues and nutrition requirements — increasing in schools, Williamsburg-James City County is focusing on providing nutritious meals to students."
More info"Representatives from National Food Group handed out samples of what could be on next year’s menu. Students sampled beef barbacoa with roasted vegetables, whole grain cheese ravioli with chunky marinara sauce and baked cod filet. Other items were cranberry oatmeal bars and breakfast items oatmeal chocolate vertical bars and berry apple crisp vertical bar."
More infoJessica Donze Black, director of the Pew Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project, speaks with Education Week about a bipartisan bill that would provide money for school kitchen upgrades.
More infoJessica Donze Black, project director for Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project, is featured in Time magazine article about healthy school lunches.
More info"Recent changes to the federal school lunch program require more fresh fruits and vegetables to be served, but many schools in Iowa and across the country lack the fridge space needed to store large quantities of fresh produce, the Republican lawmaker said."
More infoJessica Donze Black, Pew’s expert on childhood nutrition, issued the following statement on the School Food Modernization Act.
More info"The USDA is updating the existing nutritional food standards set in 1979, which will require all snack foods sold in public schools to meet new health standards."
More info"Marty Tatara has succeeded with 'Six Cent For Child' certification, which will increase federal funding for nutrition in Madison City Schools."
More info"Orange County Public Schools are continuing to offer up a host of different lunch options to students throughout the county, expanding their taste buds through different food choices."
More info"High school students don't need to have access to caffeine on campus. Snacks sold at elementary and middle schools shouldn't have as many calories as those sold at high schools. And maybe schools shouldn't have vending machines or a la carte lunch lines at all."
More infoIn the absence of a national policy, school snack food standards vary by state. Jessica Donze Black, director of the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project, speaks with The Washington Post about this issue.
More infoJessica Donze Black, director of the Pew's kids' safe and Healthful foods project speaks with the Los Angeles Times about a loophole in the USDA's new competitive foods rules that would allow junk food to be served in school cafeterias.
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