Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative
As part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids is recognizing and celebrating School Food Authorities (SFA) who have made operational changes to improve the nutritional quality of their school meals, as well as SFAs who engage students and families in nutrition education and in the planning and preparation of nutritious school meals.
SFAs meeting HMI Recognition Award criteria will receive national and local recognition, as well as an awardee toolkit that includes digital assets, and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit. Action for Healthy Kids will highlight and share diverse best practices nationwide from Recognition Award recipients through traditional and social media, stakeholder engagement, training and technical assistance activities, and Healthy Meals Summits.
Also as part of the cooperative agreement, Action for Healthy Kids has announced that they have awarded nearly $30 million in subgrants to 264 school districts across 44 states and the District of Columbia, reaching students in some of our nation’s highest need schools. These funds are being provided by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.
Each small and/or rural school district will receive up to $150,000 to support them in improving the nutritional quality of their meals and modernizing their operations, through efforts which could include: innovative staff training programs; kitchen updates and renovations; redesigning food preparation and service spaces; other school-district led efforts to support school meals and school nutrition professionals.
LEARN MORE & FIND A GRANTEE MAP HERE!
Visit the Cafeteria Chronicles blog page to hear stories from HMI grantees and award recipients on how they’re transforming school nutrition.