Kelso School District received two Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, in partnership with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK). These awards celebrate the district’s innovative approaches to improving the nutritional quality of school meals while keeping students at the center of the process.
Innovative School Lunch Makeover Award – Elementary Schools
Kelso elementary schools were honored for giving a popular lunch item—the bean and cheese burrito—a healthy and delicious upgrade. Instead of serving a frozen burrito, kitchen teams now hand-roll and assemble a homemade version from scratch. The result: a meal with more protein, more iron, and less sodium than the pre-packaged option. It’s also larger in portion and less expensive to make.
Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award – Kelso High School
Kelso High School received national recognition for introducing scratch-made meals featuring local ingredients and raw proteins. The award-winning recipes included:
Baked Pesto Chicken with Lemon Parmesan Orzo and a Kalama Sourdough Roll
Bison Meatloaf
Egg Roll in a Bowl (Asian-seasoned beef with vegetables over rice)
Each recipe follows USDA recipe standardization processes and incorporates fresh sauces and sides, making healthy meals both nutritious and popular.
“We care about every single meal we serve and are honored to be recognized for the extra effort put toward better child nutrition,” said Kaydee Harris, RDN, SNS, and district Nutrition Services Supervisor. “Our team is proud to be a ScratchWorks site, and we continue to move toward more scratch cooking and fewer processed foods.”
Healthy school meals are a cornerstone of student success, supporting growth, development, and academic achievement.
“One of America’s best opportunities to improve child health is by supporting schools in providing tasty and nutritious meals,” said Cindy Long, Administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “These awards highlight the remarkable achievements Kelso School District has made in offering nutritious meals students enjoy.”
Each day, USDA school meal programs reach nearly 30 million children across the country, fueling student success—one tray at a time.