On The Front Lines
On The Front Lines
PERSPECTIVE CHANGES EVERYTHING “I simply had no idea!” Lee County School District Amy Carroll, MBA
“...Amazed at the emphasis on viewing the student as a customer and listening to their input when planning menus.”
As a new employee, I would visit our school cafeterias with self-serve fresh fruit and vegetable bars and ask the managers how they ensured each child took at least one-half cup of fruit or vegetables? The managers would generally chuckle and tell me to “observe the meal service.” The students happily selected their fruits and vegetables from a variety of choices and more than met the minimum
I laughed and felt the full gravity of how misinformed I was regarding the current state of school meals and how I propagated that misinformation through my own ignorance. I understood the huge chasm that existed between what students were actually being served in school and the public perception of what a school lunch consisted of. Luckily, our district had the foresight to understand that marketing was a critical aspect missing from the world of school nutrition. Through a mix of social media, community partnerships and consistent communication, it is possible to better educate key stakeholders and provide information that promotes the continuous improvement of child nutrition programs. The awareness of and increased participation in school meals can ultimately lead to “smarter lunchrooms,” empowering students to make healthy choices and giving them an opportunity to select and consume a balanced diet.
required serving. Fresh berries, melons, apples and oranges, pineapple spears, salads, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, cucumber slices, baby carrots… it was an edible rainbow on display. Fresh produce was made a priority in Lee County cafeterias and had
been very well received. Farm to school initiatives, school gardens and nutrition education in the cafeteria were concepts unheard of when I was in school. We had to get the word out! Was the community aware of what was being served in our schools? That year, I attended my first Florida School Nutrition Association’s Annual
As a school-aged child in the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s, when I think about school lunch, I remember one meal in particular – square pizza, canned corn and a side of canned peaches. I associate good memories with it, but more than likely my lunch in high school was a candy bar and soda; or a la carte French fries. There were no strict regulations regarding school meals in the eighties. Crispy food from the fryer? Check. Vending machines open at lunch with full sugar sodas? Check. A fresh fruit? Nope. Nada. Canned fruit? Every day. This was a time when ketchup was declared a vegetable in the government’s attempt to restrict the cost of school lunch while trying to cut federal funding for school lunch programs. My school cafeteria was not an oasis of “healthy” options. No entrée salads or hummus wraps, and I’m not sure veggie burgers were even a thing yet. We also didn’t have bike helmets and drank straight from the garden hose. We were risky with our bodies and our health. We were not even aware of what we were missing. Fast forward twenty years I am a mom with two young daughters in public school and a Registered Dietitian working in a hospital setting. It had been many years since I had given much thought to school lunch. I primarily packed my girls’ lunches, at their request, but there were some days they chose to eat at school. My children were also enrolled in the after-school program and provided with a daily snack. One day I happened to pick them up during snack time and they received what resembled an individually wrapped donut-hole referred to as an “energy ball”. I literally laughed out loud. I was shocked at the audacity of pretending a donut was an acceptable snack to give students under the guise of being a healthy source of energy. I didn’t make a spectacle or call the superintendent. I wasn’t THAT parent. However, I may have done something more
damaging. I told friends, family, co-workers and anyone interested, how our school system was doing our children a great disservice providing them donuts as snacks. I had zero clue the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act existed. I was completely ignorant to the
Interview Video
fact that nutrition standards were established for school meals/snacks. I was talking an awful lot about a subject I knew very little of. Fast forward seven years I see a job posting for a Registered Dietitian with my local school district. I was intrigued. After working two decades as a dietitian in many areas, I had never broached the world of school nutrition. It was an area I knew nothing about, but one that was about to change the trajectory of my career. I was hired in 2017 as the Dietitian/Menu Planner for The School District of Lee County in Fort Myers, Florida and my eyes were opened. • I had no idea how far school meals had evolved. • I had no idea the nutrient analysis run on every menu to ensure they complied with updated nutrition standards. • I had no idea that students across the country were experiencing a healthier school environment. • I had no idea children were receiving more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, decreased sugar, sodium and saturated fats. • I had no idea vegetable sub-groups were required. • I had no idea brand name products on grocery store shelves were reformulated to meet the regulations set forth for school meals. I simply had no idea.
Conference. I walked through the exhibit hall taking everything in, amazed at the brands and product choices available for school meals. Amazed at the menu concepts presented rivaling popular restaurant chains. Amazed at the emphasis on viewing the student as a customer and listening to their input when planning menus. I turned a corner and came across the Super Bakery booth when, what to my wandering eyes should appear but the infamous “energy balls”! A whole grain rich, 100-calorie, smart snack approved product.
Amy Carroll talks candidly with Breanna Gustufson (NxtGen Network) about how her perspective changed about the School Nutrition Industry over the years - and why it is so important to keep educating and informing our communities. ARTICLE RECAP
Amy joined Lee County School District’s (FL) Food & Nutrition Services team in August 2017. She currently serves as Coordinator of Special Projects and School Wellness. Amy previously worked in clinical dietetics as a Certified Diabetes Educator. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University, completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University, and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Brenau University. Amy loves working in school nutrition as it provides such a great opportunity to influence the lives of children, and offer tools to help them establish lifelong healthy eating habits.
Amy Carroll, MBA Lee County School District
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