We proudly announce that Salamanca City Central School District has received a Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award for making improvements to the nutritional quality of our district’s school meals.
Awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), Salamanca City Central School District received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award for our work in including indigenous meals within our school menus. Taste tests were done at various times and now we have several recipes that are rotated among our menus.
As an award recipient, we are also receiving national and local recognition and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit.
Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award winners incorporated new menu items that are prepared from scratch using a local agricultural product or USDA food in accordance with the USDA recipe standardization process and incorporated student engagement.
“We congratulate Salamanca City Central School District on this important achievement,” said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Officer & President for Action for Healthy Kids. “The HMI Recognition Awards are an opportunity to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritious school meals,” he added.
The District is excited to receive this award as we have been working on incorporating indigenous foods into our menus for a few years. It’s been a collaboration of Chef John Haley and our Native American Curriculum Team consisting of Gabrielle Papa, Andrea Cooke and Rachael Wolfe. Currently, Bison Chili, Three Sisters Salad, along with Corn Mush and Maple Syrup are a few of the items we have included in our student menus.
AFHK is recognizing school districts to spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies schools have used to provide meals that are consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – all as part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA FNS’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. Learn more about the Healthy Meals Incentives at www.healthymealsincentives.org.
Healthy school meals are an essential part of the school environment and a proven tool for improving a child’s health, growth, development, and educational outcomes. AFHK and USDA are committed to working together to strengthen school meals and investment in a bright future for our children.