In the News

A healthy reward for area schools

May 6th, 2013

Farrah Duffany, Kimberly Primicerio and Eric Vo

Schools throughout the area received the HealthierUS School Challenge Award from the United States Department of Agriculture this month for promoting healthy lifestyles and nutrition.

The award is a voluntary certification that recognizes schools across the nation that participate in the National School Lunch Program. In Connecticut, 32 school systems received an award. Meriden was one of only two to get a silver award, for Lincoln, Washington and Edison middle schools. Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire received bronze awards for their elementary schools.

Healthier food options have not always been popular with children. In Wallingford, incorporating more grains, vegetables and fruits into students’ lunches has been an ongoing process so it hasn’t impacted the budget, according to Food Services Director Sharlene Wong. Still, the cafeteria account of the Wallingford schools has been posting a deficit for most of the current school year.

“We actually posted a profit last month,” Wong said, “but we’ve been posting a slight deficit (for the year) and might end with a deficit.”

Despite that, Wong was glad Wallingford had received the bronze award. She said she’ll continue working on providing students healthier lunches.

Nya Welinsky, Southington’s food service director, said the schools have been moving toward all products on the menu being whole grain, serving local fresh fruits and vegetables and using turkey products rather than beef, among other changes.

“It just helps students develop lifelong behaviors that are healthy,” Welinsky said.

Average daily participation in the program wasn’t high enough for the elementary schools to receive silver or gold, Welinsky said.

Southington School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr. said the award was the result of “hard work” that, in turn, resulted in healthy choices at lunch and healthy activities to promote better lifestyles in the students.

“I was incredibly surprised to see not one or two, but all eight elementary schools being recognized,” Erardi said.

Last year, an application for each of the eight elementary school had to be submitted for review for the award, a “lengthy process,” Welinsky said. Schools have to meet a number of criteria, including serving healthier foods that appeal to students; emphasizing whole grains, fruits and vegetables; and complying with nutrition education, wellness and physical activity criteria.

The schools are certified for the next four years. Southington and Wallingford received $4,000 and Meriden $3,000 to use toward future healthy programming. The Cheshire schools will receive $2,500. On top of the monetary reward, each school will receive a banner, a plaque, and a certificate from the USDA.