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.