District helps students eat healthier

COLUMBIA CITY, IND. (WANE) - We all know that eating right is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, but it's not always easy to make the right decisions. For students, breakfast and lunch time can be a calorie free-for-all. That’s why a local school district is using a national program to help strike a better balance.

"This is our first day back and the students really seem to be in the swing of things," Mary Raber Elementary School Principal Julie Turpin said on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.

Students in the Whitley County Consolidated Schools district are also getting their first taste of a new program.

"I have been getting phone calls and e-mails from parents saying the only check I have to write anymore is for school meals, is there a way you guys can join the next generation,” Whitley County Consolidated Schools Food Service Director Carol Heinold said.

Meal Pay Plus does just that. Parents can automatically move funds into their child's account and see what they choose to eat. They can also keep tabs on if they're, say, buying lunch for their friends as well.

For elementary school students, there's pretty much just one lunch choice available. So the program really comes into play for parents of middle and high school students.

"We do our best to make sure all the food we have is nutritious and good for the kids, but sometimes it's the combination of food that you put together that can cause some of the problems,” Heinold said.

Principal Turpin also sits on the district's Wellness Committee. She feels the Meal Pay Plus program will teach more healthy habits.

"The more information that parents have and the better they're able to communicate with their child and help them make good choices, I just think that serves all of us better," Principal Turpin said.

The district has about 3,500 students who can use the program. It's voluntary, and is free to the district and to parents, unless they choose to pay with a credit card.

The system has also been used in the East Noble school district since January of 2009, and officials report positive results.