Black Hawk Middle School Honored For School Lunches
EAGAN, Minn. (WCCO) -- It may be a sign of how far standards have fallen in the U.S. that a Twin Cities school is being recognized Tuesday, simply for serving healthy food.
In fact, this is considered so big, that even a Vikings player showed up to celebrate the good news. Black Hawk Middle School in Eagan received a $2,000 award Tuesday morning as part of the "Power Lunch Rally LiveSmart X-Country Tour."
Schwan's Food Service gave out the honor to the district's food service team because of the many ways the school's lunches have gotten more nutritious.
They have a Farm-to-School promotion every month that features local produce and this month, the local produce is featured every week.
Seventy-five percent of the breads and pasta are whole grain and the school offers at least five choices of fruit and at least two choices of vegetables every day.
They are also trying to cut down on salt in foods.
The school tracked what students at Black Hawk ate for an entire year and found they had one of the highest rates of kids choosing to eat healthier lunches.
Principal Rich Wendorff said part of the reason they've been so successful is because of the staff -- everyone's been very mindful in talking with the students about how eating healthy will help them in school and how important it is. He said they plan to continue that message throughout the school.
Registered dietician Janeen Peterson said the healthy choices at Black Hawk didn't come overnight.
"The school have really been making a lot of changes for many years now and we're trying to get the word out to families that school meals are healthy," she said. "We've been incorporating whole grains, lower sodium products, more fresh fruits and vegetables and kids are really going for it."
Vikings running back Lorenzo Booker also talked with students about why good lunches are important -- and how they even help him on the football field.
