Rocking CREATIVE COOKIES and MUCH MORE in Grants Pass, Oregon

The Food and Nutrition Services of Grants Pass (Oregon) Schools have an impressive mission statement:
WE ARE GP

We believe as a department

Every child should have

Access to healthy fresh foods

Required for optimal growth

Ensuring academic success

Growth and development

Promoting healthy eating habits

Even more impressively, this school nutrition program lives their mission in multiple ways every day. Here are just a few examples of ways that Grants Pass is rocking school meals and nutrition education:

• Won the "Healthy Breakfast Cookie Contest" at the Oregon School Nutrition Conference in March2010.
• Purchase food, including fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, from local farmers and coordinate nutrition lessons with the fresh produce being served for lunch.
• Promote programs including Ag-in-the-Classroom curriculum, school gardens, food tastings and cooking classes, indoor learning labs, and farm/farmers market visits, all of which get students excited about healthy foods.
  
• Serve tasty, yet healthful, items such as chocolate zucchini muffins and slip spinach into salads covered with palate-pleasing strawberry vinaigrette dressing.