A top Agriculture Department official will visit Mt. Lebanon on Friday to honor the school district for its commitment to student nutrition. <\/p>\n
Janey Thornton, USDA deputy undersecretary, will meet with parents and school officials, dine with students and present the HealthierUS Schools Challenge award, a program started in 2004 to promote improved nutrition and healthier school environments. <\/p>\n
The honor, shared with about 4,000 schools nationwide, covers a variety of criteria, Ms. Thornton said. Schools must show that a certain percentage of their students participate in school meals; that they've established a wellness policy with food guidelines; and that they offer nutrition education. <\/p>\n
\"It is more of a comprehensive approach to good nutrition and wellness throughout the school as opposed to just what's on the school menu that particular day,\" she said. <\/p>\n
Mt. Lebanon has offered elementary students unlimited fruits and vegetables since the lunch program's inception. Before it started three years ago, elementary students either went home for lunch or brought food to school. <\/p>\n
The district established the program to ensure students eligible for free or reduced-price meals were eating lunch, said Tazeen Chowdhury, district food service director. <\/p>\n
Much of the produce served at the elementary schools is grown on local farms and arrives via a distributor. The district started a \"farm of the month\" program last year, and this month features fruits and vegetables from Laurel Vista Farms in Somerset. <\/p>\n
The HealthierUS Schools Challenge application took about six months to compile. And in July, new national regulations took effect, requiring more fruits and vegetables for student lunches, among other changes. <\/p>\n
The district's foresight, Ms. Chowdhury said, made the transition easier. <\/p>\n
\"We knew we were already on the ball with it,\" she said. \"We were way ahead of the curve knowing that this is the direction we want to go.\" <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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