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El Monte City School District lies about 20 miles east of the heart of Los Angeles, California. Many of its children are first-generation Mexican Americans, and 91 percent of the children participate in the free- and reduced- price lunch program. This Alliance for a Healthier Generation school has been making some big changes to the snacks it offers students in the after-school program.
Many of El Monte’s students also stay at their schools until after 5 pm, participating in after school activities and athletic programs. The district offered a small after school snack of milk and fruit, but with children playing rigorous sports and expending a lot of energy, the snack wasn’t enough.
Instead of getting rid of the program due to low participation, El Monte strengthened it. Staff used the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Product Navigator as a guide to buying nutritious products that met USDA nutrition standards. They brought in food vendors and asked students to participate in taste testing, creating a new hearty snack box for students.
Now instead of having a small snack, after school students eat what Lewis calls a “grown up bento box” which contains turkey pesto wraps, sunflower seeds and raisins, hummus and veggies, and chicken sandwiches.
Lewis said, “Kids LOVE them! We don’t have leftovers anymore, and with such high participation and a higher reimbursement from the state, our revenue went way up.”
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation reports their successes and has awarded many schools in the El Monte School District with national recognition.
By The Numbers
142
Percent
Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years
