In March of 2012, Austin’s Sustainable Food Center opened the Farmers' Market East, offering the first Double Dollar Incentive Program that matches food assistance in the state of Texas. Funded by local and federal government as well as private groups, the Double Dollar Incentive Program doubles the amount of money a person can spend when they use their federal assistance money, like WIC or SNAP, on fresh food at the farmers’ market. Austin’s East side has been referred to as a food desert, where fresh food and produce is not easy to find. The new farmers’ market, along with the incentive program, are creative ways to ensure that communities have access to healthy ...
The Houston School Meals Initiative is petitioning the Houston Independent School District (HISD) to eliminate unhealthy options and ingredients from school lunches. The Houston School Meals Initiative is a collaboration of effort and support from parents, PTAs/PTOs, students, school administrators, educators, and advocates who support the improvement of HISD’s food served to students from grades Pre-K to 12. HISD is the largest school district in Texas, with Hispanics making up over 60% of the student ...
Since December 2010, the UK and USA have been sharing examples of policy and practices in promoting healthy eating in schools. With similar challenges and successes on both sides of the Atlantic, both wanted to find a way to raise awareness of the importance of good nutrition among children and foster healthy eating habits both at home and at school – and so, International School Meals Day emerged. Overall, the theme of International School Meals Day is to: Raise awareness of the importance of the nutritional quality of school meal programs worldwide.
Emphasize the connection between healthy eating, education and better learning.
Connect children around the world to foster healthy eating habits and promote well-being in schools.
Share success stories of school food programs ...
On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education adopted the Improving Food and Nutrition Policy. The policy strengthens nutrition education in the classroom and ensures that the last student in the lunch line has at least 20 minutes to eat. The policy also includes provisions that address the appeal and nutritional value of school meals as well as local food ...
New Mexico's legislators introduced a bill in 2013 that would set standards for the nutritional value of foods served in New Mexico schools, as well as encourage schools to feature New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables in all school lunch programs. The bill would also require that food served in school lunch programs be purchased from New Mexico vendors when ...
Novato Unified School District in the California bay area is a leader in bringing healthy, fresh options to their schools and removing unhealthy, competitive options. Serving a significant number of low-income families, serving nutritious food is important, since some kids may go home to meals lacking important nutrition. The district’s director of food and nutrition services, Miguel Villarreal, was named a runner-up for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) Golden Carrot Award for innovation in school food service. Mr. Villarreal eliminated red meat, soda, and most processed foods at the school several years ago. He uses the cost-savings from unhealthful foods to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers. Popular menu items include veggie burgers ...
Introduced by California State Senator Bill Monning (D- Carmel) in February 2012, AB1678 sought to restrict mobile food vending near school campuses before, during and after the school day. Much effort has gone into removing unhealthy food choices from California schools, making sure that the healthy choice is the easy choice. However, those efforts are being undermined by mobile food vending that specifically and intentionally targets students near school campuses with unhealthy snacks. In March 2012, it was announced that the bill would not move further that ...
A campaign run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that challenges school lunch programs to make healthier meals has awarded 32 Mesquite Independent School District elementary schools with Healthier U.S. School status. This year, the district has revamped school menus to focus on fresh fruit and vegetables and has eliminated some of the unhealthier options. Each school receives $500 for meeting the challenge. The city of Mesquite is a city in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and Hispanics make up the majority of students in the school ...
Glendale fifth-graders at Don Mensendick Elementary school didn't just learn about childhood obesity, they developed policy positions to fight it. In May 2012, the students presented their policy recommendations to state Sen. Jerry Lewis (R- Mesa). Among their requests---get rid of flavored milk, only offering them on Fridays as a ...
