The Cook County Schools District Wellness Committee and Head Cook Linda Bockovich have been working hard to offer healthier choices for school lunches. One popular change is each Monday’s salad bar, taco salad or “build your own sub” bar for 4th – 12th graders.
Chances are, if you asked a student in the Cook County School District what’s new at lunch lately, they will have a lot to talk about.
Under the leadership of Head Cook Linda Bockovich and with support from the District Wellness Committee, administration and local health advocates, there have been significant improvements in the nutrition of foods served for school lunches and breakfasts in the past few years. This group has worked together since 2009 to offer more whole grains, fresh fruits, nutritious vegetables, and lowfat proteins in school meals.
As of the 2011-12 school year, there are great changes. Whole grain breads, pizza crusts, tortillas, cornbread, and noodles are now offered on more than 60 percent of all days. Fresh fruit is offered more than half of the days, and any canned fruits are in fruit juice or light syrup. Rather than canned vegetables, a fresh or frozen steamed vegetable is served every day for lunch. And low-fat proteins like yogurt, eggs, and low-fat cream cheese are now available every day for breakfast.
In addition to these great changes, every Monday a salad bar, taco salad bar or build-your-own-sub sandwich bar is offered to 4th-12th graders. Kristin Wharton, the Cook County Statewide Health Improvement Program coordinator, said, “All of these are significant changes from the past, sometimes as much as a 90 percent increase in healthier choices. “
According to Wharton, studies show that over half of all children in the United States eat one of their three major meals in school, and one in 10 of all children eat two of their three main meals in school. “The Cook County School District has made great strides in ensuring that the children of our community are well-nourished in order to grow and learn,” said Wharton.
In addition to a commitment to student nutrition, the District Wellness Committee and school are committed to balancing the food service budget. Bockovich has been able to hold the line on expenses of these nutritious foods during her tenure in charge of the Food Service.
For this great work improving nutrition and budget, Bockovich and the Wellness Committee were invited to present at a national health conference in Minneapolis in November as an example of a school nutrition success story.
From 2009-2011, the ISD 166 has partnered with Cook County Public Health and Human Service and the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic to improve school nutrition through a Statewide Health Improvement Program grant to Northeastern Minnesota. Contact Kristin Wharton, Cook County SHIP Coordinator for more information: 387-2330 X150 or Kristin@sawtoothmountainclinic.org.
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