 Starting healthy habits early in MACCRAY School District
The MACCRAY School District in southwestern Minnesota is instilling a lifetime of healthy habits by giving students more exposure to fruits and vegetables in school.
The district also created a welcoming atmosphere at East and West Elementary school lunchrooms by adding murals with fun graphics.
The district crosses county lines, making it a great opportunity for Countryside SHIP and Kandiyohi-Renville SHIP to work together to support MACCRAY Food Service.
Among the changes at the elementary schools included the introduction of a vegetable bar, which features fresh produce already sliced and attractively arranged. Research shows that when kids can choose their fruits and vegetables, they are more likely to eat them and like them.
It was a big hit, according to Julie Wohlman, food service director.
“The salad bars in our elementary school were our first endeavor with SHIP,” she said. “’So many choices!’ – is my favorite comment from kids.”
The support from SHIP continued in 2018, when a Smarter Lunchroom assessment was completed at the elementary schools and high school. That gave the school ideas on simple, no-cost or low-cost strategies to increase participation, improve consumption of healthy food and reduce waste.
All elementary school students provided inspiration for murals, which focused on what Farm to School meant to them. Giving the students a chance to participate helped give them more ownership of the space.
“The murals definitely make the space more appealing,” Wohlman said.
|
