• What is healthy food?
  • Definitions
  • School Foods
  • Organic
  • Locally Grown
  • Allergy policies/programs
• Advice/action plans
  • Nutrition goals
  • Sample menus
• Success Stories
  • Walnut Creek
  • Grady High School
  • Camden Hills High School
  • Olympia School District
  • Promise Academy
  • Ann Arbor
• KIWI Crusaders
• In the Classroom
• Resources

KIWI Crusaders

A+ Food Programs

By Jennifer Medley

While no school food program is perfect, many come close. At KIWI, we believe success stories can inspire other schools. So we created the KIWI Crusaders Award to recognize the schools and school systems that have made a commitment to serving their students healthier, more sustainable food. KIWI and Fruitabü, our partner in this award, are pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Kiwi Crusaders Award for Excellence in School Meals. Our congratulations go to: McNeil Child Development Center in Pennsylvania (preschool), Berkeley School District in California (public), and Calhoun School in New York (private). Each winner will receive $3,500.

The number of impressive 2007 Crusaders applicants proves that positive upgrades are possible in any type of working lunch program. As Ann Cooper, a chef and the nutrition director of the Berkeley School District in California, puts it, "You just have to start taking baby steps, make one change at a time."

Among all applicants, creativity played a crucial role in taking that first step, along with getting parents involved. Unity Charter School in New Jersey has a picnic at the beginning of each school year to introduce families to some of its lunch program’s natural foods. Louisa May Alcott School, a partner in Chicago’s Organic School Project, gathers families in the school’s vegetable garden in summer months for plantings, tastings and garden-associated craft projects. Thinking outside the box, Global Montessori Academy in Missouri offers lunches to its preschoolers from a local organic café, and the vegetarian, locally grown fare is served in reusable containers.

Greg Christian, founder and chairman of the Organic School Project in Chicago, recommends that a school’s first step be to plant a garden, so that schoolchildren get involved in the growing process. "Starting with a garden is key. It doesn’t have to be a Cadillac garden–any kind of garden, on any kind of plot, will get kids connected to where their food comes from," he says.

Schools considering change may find further inspiration from a recent University of Minnesota study conducted in 330 of the state’s public-school districts. It was found that students actually eat healthy food when it’s provided, and that higher labor costs are often offset by the lower cost of fresh fruits and vegetables, as compared with processed foods.

How does a school know when it has succeeded in making nutritious fare taste delicious? According to this year’s winning Crusaders, it’s when the staff is excited to eat school lunch, too!

Download entire article.

• Preschool Crusader
• Public School Crusader
• Private School Crusader

Preschool Crusader

School: McNeil Child Development Center
Location: Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Number of Students in School/District: 112 (age three months–six years)

Food Program Highlights: Prompted by parent requests, the school asked its food provider, Aramark, for fresher, minimally processed, more organic foods. Ruby McClellan, Aramark’s chef for the center, was surprised that costs could remain within budget. First the school became a "juice-free center," serving only water and milk (now organic) as beverages. It took further advantage of the children’s openness by bringing on healthier foods. A toy puppet named Chef Combo helps teach the connection between food and health and makes it fun for kids to try new cuisines. Parents can get involved in cooking demonstrations and recipe contests.

Top Additions: Organic milk, whole grains, vegetarian substitutes, special dishes for children with allergies
Top Eliminations: Juice, sugary snacks
Lunch Sampling: Hummus, black-bean quesadillas, tofu tacos, veggie and turkey burgers, baked sweet potato fries
Student Reactions:

"I love the food from China. My belly is full with good food."
(The school serves Chinese-inspired dishes weekly.) — Clare, age four
"The tomato soup is my favorite. I dip my bread in it." — Lindsey, age four
"I need more hummus." — Laura, age two
"Ooooh! Egg rolls!" — Max, age five
"Chili with beans is so yummy!" — Caroline, age three

Plans for Award Money: The preschoolers will donate half the money in person to a local food bank, along with an assortment of healthy foods selected by the students. The remaining award money will be donated to Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that helps relieve global hunger and poverty. The children will learn about both charities in school.

We’d like to thank all the schools that applied for the 2007 award. If you’d like to enter your school or school system for the 2008 KIWI Crusaders Award, visit www.myhealthyschool.com.