Action for Healthy Kids and USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service announced that six additional school districts have received Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Awards this April for trailblazing and innovative work in improving the nutritional quality of their school meals.

As part of the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Recognition Awards Program recognizes and celebrates school districts that make operational changes to improve the nutritional quality of their school meals, as well as school districts that engage students and families in nutrition education, and the planning and preparation of nutritious school meals.

Learn About the Awardees:

• Saint Paul Public Schools (Minnesota) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award for collaborating with a world-renowned Somali-American chef who helped to develop new menu items that reflect the many cultures of the students in the district.
• Palo Alto Unified School District (California) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award for utilizing student engagement opportunities, such as an Annual Tasting Day, sample days, and suggestion boxes to pilot new scratch recipes.
• Coleman Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award for incorporating scratch recipes into its menu, including student favorites such as homemade pepperoni pizza, meatloaf and French toast casserole.
• Portage Township Schools Corporation (Indiana) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award for utilizing local foods to create scratch recipes that have received positive feedback from students.
• Spartanburg School District 4 (South Carolina) received the Small or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award for transitioning a significant portion of its vegetable supply to fresh or frozen options, reducing sodium, providing a wider variety of nutrient-dense options, and engaging students in South Carolina Grown Day.
• Ashwaubenon School District (Wisconsin) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award for using the cafeteria’s digital menu boards to promote a book of the month and inviting a Farm-to-School expert to teach kids about growing food and the crop (or harvest) of the month.

School districts can apply for one or more of the following HMI Recognition Awards:

• Breakfast Trailblazer
• Small and/or Rural SFA Breakfast Trailblazer
• Lunch Trailblazer
• Small and/or Rural SFA Lunch Trailblazer
• Innovative School Lunch Makeover
• Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals
• Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals
• Innovation in Nutrition Education

“The Recognition Awards highlight the progress our schools are making in improving the quality of school breakfast and lunch,” said Cindy Long, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “We’re seeing incredible efforts and innovative accomplishments by school nutrition professionals, as they provide their students with healthy, nutritious meals.”

The Recognition Awards application can be found on the HMI website. School districts are eligible to apply for the Recognition Awards if they participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis over a two-year application period ending June 30, 2025.

ABOUT USDA’S FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

ABOUT ACTION FOR HEALTHY KIDS

Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving children’s health and well-being by bringing together and mobilizing educators, families, and other key stakeholders to help children lead healthy lives. Through its core programming and family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to address systemic challenges in underserved communities. To learn more about its growing network of volunteers and champions, visit: actionforhealthykids.org