| Categories |
Adopt marketing techniques to promote healthful choices; Make more healthful foods and beverages available |
| Problem Overview |
- 5,500 students (seven schools K-12) in a suburban area of Hartford, Connecticut
- 4.3 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price school meals
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| Program/Activity Description |
Innovative marketing has been the main key to success in South Windsor schools. With a fiscally strong program, the food service director was able to make gradual changes in the school nutrition environment without worrying about loss of income. The marketing efforts have also created strong relationships with important school and community groups such as teachers, parents, and school board members. Here are just a few ways that the food service program markets nutrition and school meals:
- Giant, colorful menus in the elementary schools allow students and visitors to see what is served. Elementary schools have four daily menu choices; secondary schools have 10 to 15 choices. The menus sent home to families resemble restaurant menus, instead of the traditional school calendar menus.
- Special coupons (in the shape of a large yellow school bus) offer $1 off their first meal to all first graders; a free-meal coupon is given to transfer students (this helps provide a meal if the child has no funds or needs assistance).
- A new catering program (with a retired chef as manager) received rave reviews and increased revenues. This program has expanded catering to the town council and police, senior programs, teacher training sessions, and board of education meetings.
Strong relationships between cafeteria managers and their schools help facilitate changes in nutrition environments. Managers are encouraged to create unique programs for their schools, from visits of USDA’s Power Panther costumed character to Halloween haunted houses. In December 2002, kitchen managers identified the need for school breakfast as part of strategic planning. They then worked with principals to start breakfast programs in two schools. For the 2003-2004 school year, all five elementary schools are offering breakfast with small but steadily increasing interest.
Connecting with the physical education department and athletic coaches has helped create links between nutrition and physical activity in South Windsor schools. In March 2003, child nutrition and physical education joined together for a CT at PLAY program that encourages Connecticut children to eat healthfully and be active.
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| Program/Activity Outcome |
- Vision, a strategic planning process, and creative marketing efforts have been essential to the numerous improvements in South Windsor School nutrition environments.
- Milk machines were successfully introduced into middle and high school cafeterias for the 2002-2003 school year. Machines vend flavored milks, waters, and 100% juices, as well as bottled smoothies. They are open all day, including for afterschool activities. The company responsible for stocking them says it “can hardly keep them filled.”
- Milk in 10-ounce plastic bottles was introduced to grades 6 through 12 in September 2003. Middle school milk purchases increased by 2000 bottles compared to September 2002 sales, and this change helped to increase meal calories to acceptable levels and to increase calcium intake as well. There is less waste of milk in the bottles.
- Snack items, especially those in the high school, have been reviewed for nutritive value. Those low in nutrients have either been eliminated or priced to reduce sales. For example, the price of doughnuts was raised to 90 cents; while smaller bagels are sold for 60 cents and larger bagels for 75 cents. Unsold breakfast bagels are sold at lunch along with soft pretzels. The sale of cookies is limited to certain days each week, and all fried chips have been replaced with baked products.
- Beginning in September 2003, cookies and brownies were no longer served daily to send the message that they are not everyday foods. Frozen dessert choices have been limited to frozen yogurt and ice cream in age-appropriate portion sizes. All chips sold at the secondary school level are now baked versions.
- In reimbursable lunches, daily produce choices have been expanded to include two to three vegetables and at least five fruits, both fresh and canned. Fresh produce is purchased from local farmers whenever possible.
- The overall fat content of the menus has also been reduced by limiting the number of times that high-fat items are served. Chicken fries have been eliminated and many breaded and fried meats are now offered in lower-fat, baked versions. More salads and lighter toppings for pizza are being introduced and promoted.
- The sales of healthier à la carte items have also been strong. For example, doughnut sales have dwindled while bagel sales are “very hot.”
- The South Windsor School District has been able to make gradual improvements in the school nutrition environment and maintain a financially sound program at the same time. In the early 1980’s when Mrs. Lopez started, the program participation rate was 32 percent. They now serve reimbursable meals to about 60 percent of district students—and almost 100 percent of district students participate in the food service’s total offerings.
- During October 2003, Nutrition Services offered a series of employee workshops on wellness and the links between obesity and diseases. These classes helped to focus the department on healthy lifestyles and the importance of role modeling.
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| Story Highlights |
Keys to Success:
- Marketing: Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!
- Planning: Creating a strategic plan for the food service department
- Customer focus: Meeting unique needs of individual schools
- Collaboration: Working with athletic coaches and physical education (PE) departments
Future Plans:
- Introduce a fresh serving line—with salads, wraps, and sandwich choices— as part of a redesign in elementary school kitchens.
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| Words of Wisdom |
"Quality brings quantity. Don’t be afraid to buy the best, prepare it with pizzazz and offer it with great service. The rewards will astound you! I believe in creativity and thinking outside the box. We do a lot of that and are really successful in our efforts."
— Mary Ann Lopez, Director of Food Service |
| Program Contact |
Mary Ann Lopez |