Jana Landrum, Child Nutrition Program director for San Benito Consolidated Independent School District, believes in tradition. For her schools, that means a menu planning system that offers a variety of nutritionally balanced foods portioned properly. "I know there are a lot of different menu planning systems out there," Landrum said. "We like to stick to the tried and true and put creative emphasis on presentation." Landrum's progressive style of food service includes a rejection of serving wells in favor of modern counters with merchandisers that allow students to serve themselves. "Students are more likely to eat what they have selected," she explained.
In addition to the self-serve aspect of the new cafeteria lines, emphasis is placed on making the food look as appealing as possible. Landrum sees her students as customers who want food served in an attractive manner in an engaging environment. This combination of tradition and innovation is likely responsible for a current 65 percent participation rate in the San Benito CISD breakfast program and 95 percent participation rate for lunch. It also assures that every student can find something he or she likes to eat in the cafeteria. "We want parents to feel confident that our program meets their students' nutritional needs," Landrum said. "We work very hard to gain this confidence." Menus are designed to offer a variety of entrée choices including chef salads and deli sandwiches for all grade levels. Another way Landrum encourages healthy eating is by not limiting the number of fruits and vegetables students select at breakfast and lunch.
Landrum's dedication to student health extends well beyond the cafeteria. "We take our message of nutrition and wellness to a range of venues, including the district's Web site and television station, parental groups and collaborative trainings with area districts," Landrum said. One of the most successful attempts to bring students, parents and the community at large together in the name of good nutrition and physical fitness occurred three years ago. "San Benito hosted the first Zumbando con Kellogg's - ‘Zumba' being a salsa-inspired type of aerobic exercise - at a citywide event," Landrum said. "Tony the Tiger came and a couple thousand students and parents showed up. Now it is used in many school districts to promote exercise and good nutrition." Landrum also uses the San Benito CISD Web site and television station to broadcast nutrition education to students and their parents. "We've done shows on childhood obesity, the importance of fruits and vegetables in your diet - those kinds of things," Landrum explained.
Landrum's efforts have not gone unnoticed. For the Zumbando con Kellogg's promotion, KSBG, the district's television station, in collaboration with the district community relations department and the child nutrition program, was awarded the "Bright Idea Award" by the Texas Association of School Public Relations. "We are always willing to try something new to keep our students and parents involved while delivering the message of wellness," Landrum said. It is Landrum's belief in tradition, though, that serves as the base for her innovations. She shares a story that perfectly captures her hopes for the nutrition program. "At the beginning of every school year, I go to the cafeterias and ask students what they think of the food," she said. "Once a kindergarten student responded, ‘It is the best. I love all the choices. There are bananas, apples, oranges ... it is delicious!' This one heartfelt response will, hopefully, be the foundation for a lifetime of good nutrition."
