| Categories |
Limit student access to competitive foods; Adopt marketing techniques to promote healthful choices; Establish nutrition standards for competitive foods; Make more healthful foods and beverages available; Influence food and beverage contracts |
| Problem Overview |
- 166,000 students in a diverse district near Washington, DC
- 19 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price school meals
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| Program/Activity Description |
The Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) District is the twelfth largest in the United States. The Department of Food and Nutrition Services is a nonprofit $50 million business, serving approximately 150,000 customers daily at 238 schools, as well as day care centers, private schools, senior citizen programs, School-Age Child Care (SACC) programs, and Family and Early Childhood Education Programs (Head Start). Lunch and à la carte items are available in all schools, and breakfast is offered in 154 schools.
Director Penny McConnell is constantly searching for innovative ways to meet the needs of her customers and to help them be healthier. The Energy Zone brand itself was designed to be kid-friendly and to promote positive choices at the same time. According to McConnell, a good rapport with the food industry is essential if you want to offer students the healthiest possible choices at a reasonable price. For example, she had a student request for calcium-fortified juice. At first, she was able to find just a couple of 100% juices with calcium. Now, after working with the supplier, all FCPS juice products are calcium-fortified.
Education is an important part of the Energy Zone concept. food service complements classroom lessons with kids’ cooking classes, and the EZ Bear mascot, who is working hard to promote physical activity.
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| Program/Activity Outcome |
- Since the beginning of the food service operations in the 1940s, Fairfax County has had a strong foundation in nutrition. This means that they have not had to make major changes to insure that students have access to healthful food and beverage options.
- Healthful vending and à la carte options are part of Fairfax’s nutrition vision. Since the 1980s, the district has had a strict competitive foods policy: “Nothing can be sold in competition with the school food service program during the entire school day.”
- All vending in Fairfax schools is done through the Department of Food and Nutrition Services – in partnership with the school administration. The department determined that it was necessary to manage its own vending in order to preserve the nutrition integrity of its program.
- FCPS vending program ($3 million in yearly sales) includes 1,200 machines in 239 schools and offices, and 14 community recreation centers for afterschool sales. The program, which constantly searches for healthier products to vend in its machines, has introduced baked chips, fruit/granola bars, milk, and 100% juices.
- FCPS food service has developed its own brand, Energy Zone, complete with a mascot (EZ Bear), official colors (fuchsia, teal, and black), and label for all its packaged products (such as EZ sandwich wraps and EZ water). For example, Energy Zone bottled water has become a business itself with 40,000 cases sold in 2002.
- Nutrient analysis and ingredient information are integral parts of the Energy Zone offerings. The nutrient analyses (calories, protein, and fat) of the most popular items are posted in the cafeterias. All other details are available upon request. FCPS is currently working with its suppliers to address trans fatty acid content in products.
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| Story Highlights |
Keys to Success:
- Innovative attitude: Be fluid and flexible to meet the challenges of a diverse student body and a constantly changing food marketplace.
- Customer focus: Remember that students eat with their eyes; they will eat what they are served if it is attractive, colorful, and offered in a friendly atmosphere.
- Positive partnerships: Everything depends on partnerships and rapport with students and their parents, the school community, and the food industry.
- Nutrition integrity: Always “walk the talk” to provide customers with the most nutritious choices possible. As the Office of Food and Nutrition Services motto says: “We Talk Nutrition. We Serve Nutrition. We Teach Nutrition.”
Future Plans:
- Continue to be recognized as the voice of child nutrition for the district by working with other departments and being visible at all times.
- Collaborate with school administrators to find alternative solutions to problems (such as trying to feed 1,200 high school students in one lunch period).
- Become a more effective nutrition resource for families by providing nutrition columns for parent newsletters and expanding website information for families.
- Examine vending options in depth to investigate what new products are available or could be developed.
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| Words of Wisdom |
"Our vision drives all the decisions for our program: The Office of Food and Nutrition Services, Fairfax County Public Schools, will assist in developing excellence in each and every student. In an atmosphere that values diversity and human resources, we will be the best Food and Nutrition Services program in the nation by providing students food and nutrition knowledge, skills, and values they will need for a healthy body in an ever-changing global society."
— Penny McConnell, Director, Food and Nutrition Services |
| Program Contact |
Penny McConnell |