Partnerships to Promote Healthy Eating in School Environments

Lessons from Buffalo, New York

Abstract

Lack of access to healthful foods in urban neighborhoods negatively affects the health of youth, particularly those belonging to lower-income households. This paper highlights the challenges and accomplishments of Healthy Eating by Design– Buffalo (HEbD-Buffalo), one of 12 pilot projects sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to promote access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appealing food for school children in low-income communities. The project initiated several programs, including a weekly farm-to-cafeteria salad bar and after-school workshops on healthy eating, for 11- to 13-year-old students of Bennett Park Montessori Center (BPMC), a public school located in Buffalo, New York. The project was made possible through a diverse partnership of school administrators, teachers, parents, local non-profit organizations, and a local university. The programs offered by HEbD-Buffalo were quite successful. On average, 106 of 124 eligible students (85 percent) chose to eat fresh vegetables and fruits at the salad bar. A promising policy outcome was the commitment of Buffalo’s School District Food Services Director to continue the salad bar at BPMC after the completion of the pilot.