Yuma Union High School District to receive “Get Schools Cooking” grant
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Providing high-quality, made-from-scratch meals for local students.
We shared more on Yuma Union High School District's (YUHSD) new nutrition program.
YUHSD was selected as one of six school districts nationwide for the "Get Schools Cooking" program.
This provides funding for simpler, fresher, and more nutritious ingredients to serve in cafeterias.
Elena Hildreth, the Executive Director of Student Nutrition at YUHSD, says "YUHSD is the only high school-only district chosen. Our opportunity to make change fast is greater. When you're dealing elementary and middle, it's different but when you're dealing with high school only and with our facilities, we're poised for greatness.”
Hildreth says education and nutrition go hand in hand.
"Students with full bellies have a tendency to learn better and it also helps in terms of attendance," she shares.
Instead of parents asking them to eat their greens, the students themselves are asking for healthier options.
"They're being more vocal. They want more allergy-aware entrees, high protein, and gluten-free. By going to scratch, we'll be able to meet their needs better," explains Hildreth.
The district says the cafeterias are getting back to the basics.
Hildreth says "They used to bake bread, cook beef, and chicken back in the day, so we're kind of going backward, but it's a good thing. It will be cleaner ingredients, better products, naturally lower sodium, fat, calories, and be able to make the plates fuller.”
Hildreth says the days when food items had ingredients you couldn't pronounce are in the past.
"Most seasoning blends have wheat and derivatives so they're not gluten-free. If we make our own seasoning blends, we are in control of what spices are in there. Little subtle changes will go far for us," says Hildreth.
Students are as hungry for knowledge as they are for food.
"By going scratch, we have the ability to serve larger portions. A chicken patty is portion-based. If we make our own, we can put more on the plate. High school kids need a full plate, 5 chicken nuggets just don't cut it," Hildreth shares.
A Kofa High School senior shares how the new program will benefit her and her classmates.
Kaylah Felix says "I feel like if we have better nutrition, we'll function better at school and kids will just enjoy it more in general.”
She shares what she hopes to see on the menu.
"I like the salads. So, maybe more egg salad, potato salad, and chicken," says Felix.
The program will run for three years and students can start seeing changes as soon as this semester.
