Are you blazing a trail in your school lunch program?

You might be eligible for the Lunch Trailblazer Award and/or the Small and/or Rural Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award, as part of USDA and Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), in partnership with Chef Ann Foundation and RMC Health’s Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Awards. If awarded, your School Food Authority (SFA) receives the following benefits:

• Complimentary registration and travel stipend to attend the Fall 2025 Healthy Meals Summit
• Recognition on USDA, AFHK, and HMI websites
• National and local recognition and media opportunities
• Opportunity to network with other HMI awardees
• Awardee toolkit with promotional resources

Watch how these schools earned the Lunch Trailblazer Recognition Award:

If you’re curious about your SFA’s eligibility, here are questions to consider:

Who is eligible to for the Lunch Trailblazer award?

Any SFA within the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Alaska, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the United States Virgin Islands. Your SFA must also participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

How do I know if my SFA is a “Lunch Trailblazer” or not?

If your SFA has implemented at least 2 strategies to reduce sodium on your lunch menu in the past 12 months, you’re on the right track! For a more detailed description of the criteria for this award, watch this short video or read this description.

What counts as a sodium reduction strategy?

Examples of a sodium reduction strategy include changing processed meat to a fresh protein (with no saline or salt solution added), switching to a no salt added canned vegetable, or purchasing a lower sodium product from a food vendor.

Hear from past awardee’s success stories:

• Sevier School District (Utah) switched from precooked beef to scratch cooked beef in their tacos, lasagna, Salisbury steak and Shepard’s pie
• Frankfurt Independent Schools (Kentucky) reduced sodium by using spices like paprika, cumin and black pepper to flavor food instead of salt
• Marcola School District 79J (Oregon) used herbs from their school garden in scratch made tomato sauce to improve taste without the need for more salt

What should my SFA do if we are considering applying?

Don’t wait – apply today and let us recognize your school nutrition program! For more information on the Recognition Awards and how to apply, visit the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards website. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through June 30, 2025. Need help getting started? Reach out to AFHK at awards@healthymealsincentives.org for help!

Stay tuned for more Cafeteria Chronicles stories from school districts nationwide. Check out our Cafeteria Chronicles Blog for more inspiring school nutrition transformations!