Healthy Meals Incentives Grant

Posted Date: 08/25/2023

Sinton ISD Food Service Department

Together, with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) and USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Sinton ISD is dedicated to strengthening school meals to improve children’s health. As part of the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, we are excited to share that the Sinton ISD Food Service Department was awarded a grant to support our efforts to (1a) Engage students in local menu planning efforts through various taste testing events, (1b) Engage community stakeholder in local menu planning efforts through taste testing activities at the annual Sinton ISD Health Fair, (2) Feature local agriculture products, (3) Implement innovative menu ideas, (4) Reduce sodium and sugar in school meals to meet new meal standards, (5) Partner with a Dietician and Chef during the two year grant period and (6) Acquire and utilize menu/nutrition analysis software. The Healthy Meals Incentives grant is part of an allocation of nearly $30 million by the USDA FNS to 264 school districts across 44 states and the District of Columbia. “These grants are the largest targeted investment USDA has ever made for school meal programs in small and rural communities,” said Stacy Dean, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “We want to ensure every child in America has the opportunity to attend a school with high-quality, nutritious meals, and this support is a step in that direction.”

As part of the Healthy Meals Incentives grant program, AFHK and its partners will provide us with in-depth individualized technical assistance to support and guide the implementation of key strategies to improve school meal quality, as well as help us to develop creative solutions to provide nutritious foods for the children we serve.

“Offering healthier school meals is key to helping our nation’s kids get the nutrients they need today and for their long-term development,” said Rob Bisceglie, CEO of Action for Healthy Kids. “Through this historic investment in school nutrition, we will help school districts across the country overcome challenges and develop solutions to provide nutritious foods for the children they serve.”

Learn more about the Healthy Meals Incentives and view a grantee map at:

www.healthymealsincentives.org/grantees

Respectfully,

Silke West

Sinton ISD

Director of Food Service

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