Schools Win Award for Better Nutrition

The Buena Park School District, with its seven elementary

and middle schools, has received the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition Achievement Award.

One of 51 districts nationally to win the award, Buena Park was honored for its part in a program to offer better student nutrition.

“By participating in the Team Nutrition program, they demonstrated their commitment to following proper diet and proving they are a leader in the state,” said Diana Callaway, a spokeswoman for the USDA.

Under the program, schools follow new USDA guidelines to provide a diet high in fruits and vegetables and with a low fat content.

Patty Cunningham, the district’s director of child nutrition, said she and her staff changed the menus to reduce fat and sodium.

They also went into classrooms to talk about nutrition and lead projects such as a student-written menu for December.

“It’s really involvement of the whole educational process,” Cunningham said.