Quitman Independent School District received a Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award for improving the nutritional quality of their school meals. Awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), QISD received the Breakfast Trailblazer Award for work in improving the nutritional quality of their school breakfast menus by meeting specific criteria including limiting added sugars and implementing student engagement and/or nutrition education.
“We congratulate Quitman ISD 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.
“One of America’s best opportunities to improve child health is by supporting schools in providing tasty and nutritious meals,” said Cindy Long, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “This Recognition Award highlights the remarkable achievements Quitman ISD has made in offering nutritious meals that students enjoy, and we look forward to them sharing their best practices to help other schools follow in their footsteps.” Long added that each school day, USDA school meal programs reach around 30 million children from all communities and backgrounds across the country.
When asked how she made sure to improve the nutritional quality of the breakfast meals, Mrs. Shannon Almand, Quitman ISD’s Director of Food Nutrition, said, “In the past 12 months, we have eliminated breakfast cereals that have higher amounts of added sugars. We now only offer cereal with <6g of added sugar or less per dry oz. We have removed grain-based dessert items such as donuts, cinnamon rolls, pastries, and sweet crackers from our breakfast menus and have transitioned all breakfast yogurts containing ≤ 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces.”
Mrs. Almand was asked what this award meant to her, the Child Nutrition Department, and QISD students, to which she replied, “This award means that we have improved the nutritional quality of school breakfast for all of our students. This award recognizes the innovative practices we have implemented to help decrease the overall added sugar in school breakfast. Added sugars contribute to zero nutritional benefits but often many added calories that can lead to overweight or obesity. For our students, choosing a low-sugar breakfast option with plenty of protein and fiber can help our students stay full until lunchtime and have better attention and focus in the classroom.”
“We are currently working on additional recognition awards related to nutritional education for our students and community. The focus of this education will include a discussion of the sodium, added sugars, and/or whole grain content of school meals. The Child Nutrition Department is coordinating with each campus during Parent & Student engagement nights to share a Nutritional Education Presentation during the current school year. I believe knowledge is power; Nutrition Education will empower our students with knowledge and skills to make healthy food and beverage choices," states Mrs. Almand.
As an award recipient, Quitman ISD will receive national and local recognition and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas, NV. The HMI Recognition Awards are open to all school districts, and more information can be found at www.healthymealsincentives.org/recognition-awards/.
AFHK is recognizing school districts that have made improvements to the nutritional quality of their school meals as part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA FNS’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. The Recognition Awards 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.
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.
About Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving children’s health and well-being by bringing together and mobilizing educators, families, and other key stakeholders to help children lead healthy lives. Through its core programming and family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to address systemic challenges in underserved communities. In 2023, AFHK joined in a cooperative agreement with USDA Food and Nutrition to help implement the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, designed to improve the nutritional quality of school meals through food systems transformation, school food authority recognition, and technical assistance. To learn more about its growing network of volunteers and champions, visit: actionforhealthykids.org.
