By

Lynn Nelson,   Longfellow 45-15 Choice Elementary School

Play:

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods

Our Longfellow FUTP 60 team did a taste test in August for the district to help pick new menu items for the upcoming school year. The students tried three new entries and liked them all. Their favorite was the chicken waffle. With this opportunity to help choose healthy foods, it give students a voice in what they like and would like to eat on the menu at school. The FUTP 60 team leaders loved participating in this event.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

This was a great collaboration from administration all the way to our student body. This collaboration was with our school chef, district dietitian, nutritional services administration, our school nutritional specialist, FUTP 60 advisor, FUTP 60 student leadership teams and our FUTP 60 local coach. Students and adults working together to have a variety of choices in our school menu

How did you accomplish your goals?

Each school year our FUTP 60 team wants to have a taste test at our school. We contacted the District Nutritional services to see if they were going to have any taste test before the school year started. Our school is a year round school, so it worked perfect for the taste test at Longfellow to get the new entries on the menu for all the schools to try.

What improvements have you seen at your school?

When students are given the opportunity to give input to the school menu it empowers the students to make a difference. School lunch is one of the times during the day that students really enjoy, not just for the eating but for the social time with their friends. It's even for enjoyable when they enjoy their lunch and the choices are some of their favorites and healthy. More of our students are enjoying our school lunch program.