The Innovative School Lunch Makeover Award recognizes districts that have really rebuildt their lunch program rather than just tweaked it. Watertown Public Schools in Watertown, CT provides a good illustration with a makeover they named "Operation Salad Bar!"
Operation Salad Bar
Watertown's team treated the salad bar rollout like a product launch, not a menu change. The rollout was announced in advance, branded, and staged as an event. When the new salad bar debuted, students were eagerly anticipating it rather than discovering it cold.
Why the presentation mattered
A salad bar is only as good as student participation. Presentation drives that. Watertown's salad bar has a rainbow of colorful choices, which does two things: it makes the food visually appealing, and it implicitly teaches the "eat the rainbow" idea without a handout. Students self-serve and build plates they're more likely to actually eat.
What the award recognizes
Lunch program redesigns that go beyond swapping individual items. Reviewers look for a coherent shift in approach: a new format, a new procurement model, a new student-engagement strategy, or some combination. The makeover should be documented with before-and-after data on participation, waste, or menu nutrition.
What a competitive makeover looks like
Branded rollout that students and families recognize. Visual design in the cafeteria that supports the new approach. Staff training aligned with the new operations. Data showing student response. Sustainability past the first year — makeovers that revert six months in don't meet the criteria.
Apply
The Innovative School Lunch Makeover criteria are part of the Innovation Award series. The full criteria document is on the Resources page, along with FAQs from past applicants.