Error processing SSI file

Westlake Middle School

Thornton, Colorado

Error processing SSI file
Categories À la carte foods and beverages; Adopt marketing techniques to promote healthful choices; Make more healthful foods and beverages available
Problem Overview
  • 1,153 students in a northern suburb of Denver
  • 14.8 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price school meals
Program/Activity Description Observational studies by the Nutrition Services staff, combined with support in the school community, led to a pilot project at the Westlake Middle School in the Adams 12 Five-Star School District. If the à la carte and vending changes are successful in Westlake—and all indicators suggest that they will be—the program will be extended to all district elementary and middle schools in 2004-2005.

During the 2002-2003 school year, Nutrition Services staff observed à la carte purchasing patterns. They discovered that kids were not buying nutritious lunches from à la carte lines. Sample lunches included a fruit drink and four brownies, a bag of chips and a fruit drink, or a fruit drink by itself. Recognizing the epidemic of childhood overweight, the nutrition staff decided to make several changes in their food offerings.

The first step was to conduct focus groups with 6th and 7th graders in spring 2002. The goal of the focus groups was to determine types of “eat smart” snacks that would be acceptable to students. Armed with ideas from the focus groups, Nutrition Services also decided to implement a policy change: an entrée must be purchased before students can purchase a snack or drink. An entrée can be a school lunch meal, or it can be an à la carte choice such as a pretzel with cheese sauce, a burrito, a slice of pizza, chicken nuggets, or a sandwich. At least three entrée choices are available every day on à la carte lines.

A fruit and vegetable bar is served daily as part of the reimbursable school meal and the à la carte line. All vegetables and fruits are pre-cupped and pre-portioned to keep food safe, increase line speed, use fewer servers, and provide more cashiers. Salads and fresh relishes are daily vegetable features. Featured fruits include fresh fruit, canned fruit, and a variety of 100% fruit juices.

From the outset, Nutrition Services decided not to set strict, specific nutrition criteria for à la carte choices. They chose to use an “eat smart” approach, offering sensible foods with appropriate portion sizes, and applying general “good judgment” about snack choices.

The pilot program was made possible with the support of multiple partners:

  • Nutrition Services Director (Carol Miller, RD) who said, “Let’s do it!”
  • Students who actively participated in focus groups and helped to identify nutritious snack products that taste good.
  • Parents who participated in a children’s nutrition interest committee and were concerned about the kinds of foods being offered at Westlake.
  • Kitchen staff who modeled health by wearing pedometers and promoted fitness by giving away bikes in an Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ essay contest.
  • A vice principal who supported more sensible food choices at school and agreed to the use of Westlake as a pilot site for the “eat smart” snacks.
  • A vending company that identified vending machine snacks similar to the approved snacks offered on Westlake à la carte lines.
Program/Activity Outcome
  • In fall 2003, Nutrition Services implemented “eat smart” à la carte options at Westlake Middle School, replacing many of their usual items with more sensible snacks.
  • Nutrition Services is promoting USDA's Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ campaign with logos on menus, posters, and newsletter articles, which are coordinated with the “eat smart” snacks.
  • The nutrition program has implemented a new policy requiring the purchase of an entrée before any snack or drink can be purchased.
  • An attractive fruit and vegetable bar is offered daily. Produce is pre-portioned for food safety and to keep the line moving at a reasonable speed.
  • Nutrition Services worked with the vending machine company to ensure that vending machine options are similar to the à la carte “eat smart” snacks.
  • Initial figures since implementing “eat smart” options and the policy requiring the purchase of an entrée before snacks and beverages indicate that à la carte sales increased by 13.7 percent since the previous year, an increase of 11 cents per child. There was an 8-percent increase in reimbursable meal participation. In the second year, there was a 10.2 percent increase in a la carte sales and a 13.9 percent increase in average daily reimbursable meals served.
  • Reaction from students, parents, teachers, and staff is very positive
Story Highlights Keys to Success:
  • Market research: Conducting extensive research before making changes, collecting data, and documenting staff observations
  • Effective collaboration: Finding many partners to support and guide changes
Future Plans:
  • Maintain financial stability and implement “eat smart” changes in all district schools
  • Conduct more student focus groups to determine additional nutritious snacks
Words of Wisdom "Involve students in making changes and decisions. When students know they can make a difference in terms of menu and à la carte choices, they are more likely to support school food service and give honest feedback. Also, we need to stay away from promoting the idea of good foods versus bad foods. Our role, and responsibility, is to teach appropriate portion sizes and sensible choices. Bottom line: We need to help students understand that all foods can be enjoyed in moderation." — Melissa Jackson, Field Supervisor for Nutrition Services
Program Contact Melissa Jackson


Page last reviewed: February 27, 2013
Page last updated: February 27, 2013
Error processing SSI file


Error processing SSI file