Recent News Roundup: Promoting Massachusetts School Nutrition Programs

Most Massachusetts schools have reached the 100-day mark in the 2012-2013 year, and school nutrition programs have spent those days working hard to bring good food and nutrition to students. Our recent review of local news finds that many school districts are having promoting school nutrition programs:

  • In Bellingham, School Nutrition Director Jeanne Sheridan is flexing some marketing muscle for the school breakfast programs in middle and high schools, reports Milford Daily News. Taste tests, sampling, and promotion are all part of the mix to encourage student participation.
  • “School lunches aren’t what they used to be; they’re better,” reports the Patch in an article about updated school food in North Reading schools. District Director of Food Services Anna McGovern adds the personal touch to lunch promotion, standing on the high school line and encouraging students to take fruits and vegetables.
  • After student advisors told the Watertown School Committee that updated school lunches were too small, the schools commissioned a series of informational posters (created by student graphic artists) to explain the new federal school nutrition guidelines (Wicked Local article).
  • Billerica schools’ Tasty Thursdays –  where food services staff hand out samples of new, healthy foods – were featured in Wicked Local. Food Services Director April Laskey is quoted, describing how Billerica schools have implemented the updated school nutrition guidelines this year.

How has your school or district had success in adapting to new school nutrition standards and promoting your school food programs this year? We’d love to hear about it in the comments, or submit your story to be featured among JSI Success Stories!

Looking for more information on promoting your school nutrition program? Check out the online resources on this topic in the JSI Resource Center!

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The John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition is a partnership of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Framingham State University.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement.

© The John C. Stalker Institute, 2023
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The John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition is a partnership of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Framingham State University.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement.

© The John C. Stalker Institute, 2023