Muldown lunch gets state award
The Daily Inter Lake
Muldown School in Whitefish has received a statewide award for its healthy, homemade school lunch program.
The Healthier Montana Menu Challenge recognizes exceptional school meal programs, according to a press release from the Office of Public Instruction.
Muldown School successfully met a challenging list of menu criteria to qualify for the award. The menu criteria ensure school menus reflect the dietary guidelines by serving more fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain, lower-fat entrees, legumes, and low-fat milk choices. Muldown School is the fifth Montana school to receive this award.
"One of our main goals has been to try to remove the preservative-filled processed foods by making more items from scratch," said Jay Stagg, Muldown School nutrition director. "Our kitchen staff has been great in implementing these changes. Sometimes they think I'm crazy when I tell them we're putting yams in the grilled cheeses and making spaghetti sauce with red lentils, but they always give it a chance."
Muldown School serves more than 6,000 lunches each month. The menu is served districtwide.
"Our parents really appreciate the improvements that Stagg and his staff have made," Muldown Principal Jill Rocksund said. "Their children are getting healthier lunches and more students want to eat our hot lunch."
According to Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, "My grandmother was a school cook for 28 years. She understood that serving nutritious choices at school lunch provides the brainpower students need for academic success while teaching them an important lifelong skill - learning to eat healthy."
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