Fayetteville district receives $80,000 in grants to improve nutritional quality of school meals

FAYETTEVILLE -- The School District announced Friday it has been awarded $80,000 in grants to help improve the nutritional quality of school meals.

The Life Time Foundation will provide the grants to the district over the next three years, according to a district news release.

The foundation is a nonprofit, which works with more than 35 school districts across the nation to eliminate highly processed food, according to the release.

The grants are the first awarded to an Arkansas school district, the release said.

The grants will help the district eliminate ultra-processed food and accelerate scratch and speed-scratch cooking practices through the support of an additional registered dietitian and chef specializing in school food operations, according to the release.

"We are honored to partner with Life Time Foundation for the next three years to systematically review and improve our program's ingredient and recipe quality, operations and equipment, marketing and professional development," said Ally Mrachek, district child nutrition director.

The money will pay for staff training and equipment to improve meal program participation, program access and cultural inclusivity and to support student health and education, according to the release.

Meals and products recommended for the program will be free of ingredients often found in highly processed food, including trans fat and hydrogenated oil, high-fructose corn syrup, hormones and antibiotics, processed and artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, artificial preservatives and bleached flour, according to the release.

Fifty-five percent of the district's nutritional ingredients already meet Life Time Foundation standards, the release said.

The district already has used the money to purchase electric knife sharpeners and produce slicers and launch new menu viewing software to help parents and students be more aware of meal plans, according to the release.