BRISTOL, Tenn. (WCYB) — Exciting changes are coming to school meals at Bristol Tennessee City Schools. Thanks to a grant, new equipment will be purchased to provide more consistent and flavorful cooking options for steaming, roasting and baking.
“The Healthy Meals Grant initiative is a grant that is funded by the USDA through the Action for Healthy Kids,” said Rebecca House, public relations and special projects coordinator, Bristol Tennessee City Schools.
“Our programs are largely federally funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” added Jennifer Burleson, director of school nutrition, Bristol Tennessee City Schools.
The $150,000 will be used to implement a multifaceted plan to enhance school meals.
“The grant has four components and those are nutrition education, school meal improvements, farm to school initiatives, and equipment replacements,” said House. “We are going to be replacing our old ovens and steamers, we are going to be doing nutrition education with our staff with a local chef, and we are also going to be doing taste testing and nutrition education with our students.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture saying “these grants are the largest targeted investment the USDA has ever made for school meal programs in small and rural communities. We want to ensure every child in America has the opportunity to attend a school with high-quality, nutritious meals, and this support is a step in that direction.”
“We know that about half of our students are at risk for food insecurity or hunger, and we want them to be prepared to learn and participate in classroom activities throughout the day,” said Burleson. “We make sure that breakfast and lunch is provided at all schools.”
“We comply with all of the health and nutrition guidelines of the USDA and that includes, as of July 1 of this year, a lower sodium requirement,” added House. “Sometimes people think that healthy doesn’t always mean that it tastes good and so we are training our staff on some new healthier cooking recipes that are also very tasty.”
This grant is also helping students and their families learn about the importance of nutrition.
“We think it’s important for our students and families to make the connection between the meals that are served at school and the meals that they eat at home,” said House. “We think that school meals can be a catalyst for just a lifetime of healthy eating and healthy eating habits.”
The following is a press release in full from Bristol Tennessee City Schools:
“Bristol Tennessee City Schools, in partnership with Action for Healthy Kids and USDA Food and Nutrition Service, is excited to announce a new $150,000 Healthy Meals Incentives grant dedicated to improving children’s health by funding initiatives to strengthen the quality and nutrition of school meals.
Over the next two years, the school district will implement the grant funding with a multifaceted plan to enhance school meals. During fall 2023, the district is partnering with a chef and registered dietitian to assist with recipe development and staff training to implement healthier and more flavorful cooking techniques. The grant is also allowing the purchase of new equipment to provide more consistent and flavorful cooking options for steaming, roasting, and baking.
The district is hosting taste testing activities at each elementary school. In addition, the department of school nutrition is joining family engagement events to provide meals and nutrition education for students and families. The first phase of implementation also includes adding nutrition analysis software for recipe building and menu analysis. The grant will continue through June 2025 with additional training for staff, more school taste testing opportunities and nutrition education opportunities at community events, continued staff training, and the installation of additional equipment.
“Research shows school meals are the healthiest meals in a day for most kids,” said Jennifer Burleson, school nutrition director for Bristol Tennessee City Schools. “As staff learn and gain confidence in preparing more fresh and less processed foods, the health and taste of our school meals will continue to be strengthened. When we strengthen school meal quality, we strengthen child health.”
“These grants are the largest targeted investment USDA has ever made for school meal programs in small and rural communities,” said Stacy Dean, USDA deputy under secretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services. “We want to ensure every child in America has the opportunity to attend a school with high-quality, nutritious meals, and this support is a step in that direction.”
The Healthy Meals Incentives grant is part of an allocation of nearly $30 million by the USDA FNS to 264 school districts across 44 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more about the Healthy Meals Incentives and view a grantee map at www. healthymealsincentives.org/grantees.”