USDA's Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards program to honor school nutrition professionals

Applications are open for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) and Action for Healthy Kids’ (AFHK) Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards program.

The USDA partnered with AFHK to launch the program which is part of the USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives initiative that is intended to help strengthen the supply chain and combat inflation. The awards program aims to recognize school nutrition teams that are making strides when it comes to exceeding nutrition requirements for sodium and whole grains, reducing added sugars in school breakfasts, implementing scratch cooking and nutrition education, reflecting the culture of the student body and more.

School districts are able to apply for different award categories, including Breakfast Trailblazer, Innovative School Lunch Maker and Innovation in Nutrition Education.

The applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the application period ends on June 30, 2025.

Winners will receive a travel stipend to attend a Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas and will also receive national and local recognition. In addition, award winners will have access to a toolkit that includes promotional resources intended to help them publicize their success to local media and the district community.

“Action for Healthy Kids is excited to partner with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritious school meals,” said Rob Bisceglie, CEO of AFHK, in a statement. “School meals are a powerful tool to help kids get the nutrition they need. We are committed to working with the USDA and school nutrition