Smarter Lunchrooms Success Story Template

This success story uses 5 components:

1. Situation
2. Educational Response
3. Target Audience
4. Partner or Resources
5. Outcomes

According to the 2018 Annual SNAP-Ed Report for Kentucky, at least one out of 3 Kentucky children are overweight or obese. Nearly half of Kentucky children consume fruits less than once daily, well below the 1½ to 2 cups daily recommended by USDA MyPlate. Children who consume low amounts of fruits and vegetables are at greater risk for many nutrition related health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables daily can help reduce the risk of many leading causes of illness and death, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity.”

Casey County Extension began a collaboration with the Casey County Middle School nutrition program and cafeteria during the spring of 2019. At Casey County Middle School, over 80% of the students (around 350 students) qualify for free or reduced school meals. Due to this high number, all students receive free lunch. Working with the school cafeteria offers an opportunity for Policy, Systems and Environment changes that directly impact students. While the National School Lunch program already has regulations in place to ensure that schools are serving nutritious foods, getting students to select and consume the healthy foods is another matter. The Casey County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development provided the school cafeteria with marketing items designed to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables by middle school students. The banners, aprons, and other signage were used in the cafeteria for a 6 week period.

Although results are not available yet to determine if students consumed more fruits and vegetables as a result of the marketing intervention, there have been positive changes in collaboration of Casey County Extension and the school nutrition program. The Casey County Middle School cafeteria staff go above and beyond to provide well-balanced and tasty meals for their students. Two proteins are provided along with the choice of various fruits and vegetables and additional side items. A well-stocked salad bar is offered twice a week with much popularity among the students and staff. The cooks pay close attention to what the students enjoy eating and their food pairings and make necessary changes/adjustments to ensure a tasty meal. The majority of the students do a great job in choosing a well-balanced meal and enjoy the vegetables that are prepared for them. If students do not choose a well-balanced meal, the cooks remind students to choose a fruit or vegetable as a part of their meal. Even though it was stated, “Students are just not willing to try new/different foods.” The cooks continue to work hard in providing good food for the middle school students and staff.