By

Lori Danella,   Westview Elementary School

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Highlight Healthy Foods — Go Nutritious

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Access to Healthy Foods

We focused on serving a rainbow in our cafeteria. We thought about colors, contrasting colors and offering a good variety. We also offered some great dressings/dips that we made that meet our regulations with dairy products. We even stepped outside the box by offering some spicy and "caliente" dips. Students went crazy over them. Not only did they put them on the veggies, they used them for fries, pizzas, sandwiches, etc. They had fun experimenting. So many students want to get their entree and just bypass the fruits and veggies, but by making the garden bar look appealing, they wanted to try several items on it.

What improvements have you seen at your school?

Our lunch participation has increased. Also, by encouraging students to drink milk or don't forget to take a milk, we have seen an increase in our milk consumption, which is so important for our kiddos growing bodies. Students are trying more items and they are eating what they are taking and not feeding the trash cans.