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Mayor Menino Unveils New Healthy Meals Initiative for Boston Public Schools

9/11/2007 - Released by Mayor's Office

Pilot program places chef in two schools to create more nutritious meals citywide

Mayor Thomas M. Menino today joined Boston Public Schools (BPS) and Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) officials to announce a new Healthy Meals Initiative. The new program features a professional chef cooking in two schools and educating cafeteria managers citywide about healthier ways to prepare and present meals that are both nutritious and delicious. The pilot initiative will provide new, healthier breakfast and lunch options at the Mario Umana Middle School Academy in East Boston and the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester. Chef Kirk Conrad, a culinary arts instructor who once was a chef at the Top of the Hub restaurant and the Marriott Corporation, created the healthier menus and will work in the schools’ kitchens throughout the school year.

Chef Kirk Conrad, Project Bread Executive Director Ellen Parker and Mayor Menino

“Nutritious, tasty meals provide the fuel our kids need to succeed in school and help them form habits that will keep them healthy in the future,” Mayor Menino said. “With obesity on the rise, programs like this are so important because they will teach our kids how to be healthy adults.”

Mayor Menino announced the new program at the Umana School today along with new BPS Superintendent Dr. Carol R. Johnson and Dr. Nancy Norman, BPHC Medical Director. These City departments have partnered with Project Bread, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to fighting childhood hunger, to launch the pilot initiative. Boston is at the forefront of school systems across Massachusetts to have hired chefs to upgrade the quality and nutritional content of school meals. Using existing ingredients already available in every school, Chef Conrad worked over the summer to create breakfast and lunch menus for the two schools. He will also host a new school cooking show on Boston.TV and Boston City TV, where he will share recipes in an interactive exchange with students. Chef Conrad also helped decorate the school cafeterias with colorful posters featuring healthy, mouth-watering meals urging students to “Eat Smart, Be Smart.”

As a result of Chef Conrad’s involvement in these two schools, the district’s Food and Nutrition Services Department is making changes to menus and training in all schools. Chef Conrad is using his extensive experience in food service production and cafeteria management to create recipes and train food services staff across Boston Public Schools to prepare healthier meals that are also appealing to students.

Chef Conrad, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, is a former executive chef for corporate chefs at Talbots’ corporate headquarters and culinary arts instructor at Ivy Street School in Brookline. He has worked as a line cook for Top of the Hub and as a cook for the Marriott Corporation. His approach includes incorporating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and using raw ingredients and low-fat cooking techniques, such as roasting and sautéing.

Superintendent Johnson said, “Students cannot learn unless they are properly fed and ready for the school day. We are grateful to the city and Project Bread for expanding our resources to address the overall health and wellness of our students and for building on the fine work already in place in Boston.”

Superintendent Johnson cited the Boston Public Schools’ efforts throughout the district to promote health and wellness among all students. Last year, the Boston School Committee adopted an ambitious Wellness Policy that directs schools to help students maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Programs include a free universal breakfast program and improvements to the snacks and beverages available to students during the school day.

“Typically, school food accounts for more than half of the calories a child consumes in a day, and the Boston Public Schools deserve an A-plus for taking this innovative step,” said Ellen Parker, Project Bread’s executive director.

“Almost half of Boston’s student are at an unhealthy weight, and more than half of these would be considered obese if they were adults,” said Dr. Norman of the Boston Public Health Commission. “Schools are a key place to begin to reverse these trends.’’

Cooking with Kirk is being made possible through a production partnership with Boston.TV and generous donations from Rustic Kitchen and Whole Foods Market.

www.boston.tv	www.rustickitchen.biz	www.wholefoods.com

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