We engage with districts to select and implement successful and effective nutrition changes to their food service programs in order to increase access to produce and to lower sugar, saturated fat, and sodium in meals. We improve health access in the cafeteria and promote healthy eating for children at school and at home through three core focus areas: Behavioral Economics, Staff Training; and Student & Parent Engagement.
School Nutrition Focus Areas
Behavioral Economics: We work with district staff and cafeteria managers to create customized nutrition plans, which include nutrition assessments, recipe modifications, procurement recommendations, and environmental changes to the cafeteria that yield nutritional alternatives to school meals and help promote healthy eating in the cafeteria.
Staff Training: We train child nutrition staff to make the most out of school meal programs. We train staff on effective environmental changes, customer service, portion control, preparation of fresh and nutrient-dense recipes, and more.
In collaboration with Brightwater Culinary School, we provide instructional support to improve food literacy and scratch-cooking skills so nutrition staff can better prepare meals that are lower in sugar, fat, and sodium content, but still taste great.
Student and Parent Engagement: Involving students and parents is vital to program success. We develop multilingual educational materials so parents can better understand and engage with their children in the kitchen and increase their child’s consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables at home. Our team supports school nutrition leadership in meal program promotion and building relationships through material development and special parent events, such as inviting parents to eat school lunch and attending PTO meetings.
Funding for the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation’s school nutrition programs is provided by the Alice L. Walton Foundation, National Institutes for Health, and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
School Nutrition Toolbox
The UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation has developed a toolbox to be used by school districts to promote healthy eating, parental involvement, and student participation in school meals. Fill out the form below to access our materials.