COPPERAS COVE – Copperas Cove ISD’s award-winning Child Nutrition department has added to its vast collection.
The department recently won two Healthy Meals Incentives recognition awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award and Innovation in Nutrition Education Award.
The Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award recognizes departments which offer nutritious school menu options that reflect the different cultures of students, facilitated student-community menu collaboration and provided culturally-appropriate nutrition education.
In the summer of 2024, CCISD’s child nutrition team began an initiative, “Around the World On Your Plate,” working with students during select CCISD summer camps to create internationally-inspired dishes which not only educate students on food in other cultures, but were appealing to their palates, as well.
That initiative has continued through the ongoing school year, with a different culture featured on the district’s menu each month.
The Innovation in Nutrition Education Award recognizes departments which implement nutrition education activities which make classroom, cafeteria, community and home connections for students and their families.
CCISD earned this honor for its Taste of Texas Harvest of the Month initiative with the Texas Department of Agriculture, which educates students on Texas-produced foods and places on emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients on the district’s menu.
“Both awards are a demonstration of the hard work that our child nutrition team puts into every meal we serve to students,” said Melissa Bryan, Director of Child Nutrition & Warehouse in Copperas Cove ISD. “We have worked with the students in our district to learn what foods they like or dislike. Through that, we have also learned of different foods with different flavor profiles that they wanted to taste on the menu. This communication piece is so important, because it allows us to serve them tasty meals that they actually want to eat.”
CCISD’s child nutrition department will be recognized at a national Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas, courtesy of the USDA and Action for Healthy Kids organizations.
“One of America’s best opportunities to improve child health is by supporting schools in providing tasty and nutritious meals is,” said Cindy Long, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “This Recognition Award highlights the remarkable achievements Copperas Cove ISD Child Nutrition Department has made in offering nutritious meals that students enjoy, and we look forward to them sharing their best practices to help other schools follow in their footsteps.” Long added that each school day, USDA school meal programs reach around 30 million children from all communities and backgrounds across the country.”
More information on CCISD’s child nutrition program is available on the CCISD Child Nutrition website.