USDA honors Dr. Crisp School in Nashua for healthy eating, living

By Cameron Kittle
Nashua Telegraph

From sweet-potato souffle to turkey tacos, the food on the menu at Dr. Crisp Elementary School in Nashua isn't what most people might imagine from a school cafeteria.

A revolving menu of healthy food – with an emphasis on whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables – has earned the school a national award, given out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Healthier US School Challenge.

"Wellness is a way of life here," said school nurse Roberta Abodeely, who also heads the Nashua School District's wellness team.

"Kids come up to me and say, 'I had salad with dinner last night.' That's worth its weight in gold, seeing how it affects their lives."

Dr. Crisp is the first school in New Hampshire to receive the Agriculture Department's Silver Award, given for meeting high federal standards in healthy food, physical education and nutrition education, among other criteria.

"It's really quite unique," said James DeRosa, USDA regional administrator. About 2 percent of schools in the United States have received the Silver Award, DeRosa said, and only a handful in New England and New York.

"It takes a whole team to work together: parents, students, teachers, staff," he said. "You need a lot of collaboration and good community support."

When its health and wellness program started eight years ago, Dr. Crisp was actually "part of the problem," Abodeely said. The salad bar in the cafeteria was covered up and tucked away in the corner, unused. Kids brought cookies and brownies for snack time. Special celebrations, like birthdays, typically meant kids eating cake and drinking soda in the classroom.

"Dr. Crisp was not always a healthy school," Abodeely said at an assembly held Wednesday to celebrate the award.

Audible gasps escaped from the young crowd.

No more, Abodeely said.

The Dr. Crisp cafeteria has two salad bars, frequented by dozens of students each day. Fruits and vegetables are the norm at class parties, and the school is entering its fourth year of offering free, fresh produce to students at snack time. Celebrating the 100th day of school no longer features an endless array of cakes, but instead 100 exercises.

"All the changes we've made is really something to cheer about," Abodeely said.

She said it took almost a year to finish the USDA application – submitting recipes, food labels and documentation of other school programs – but the result is worth it.

Abodeely started the push in 2004 with former principal Jennifer Seusing, who is now principal at Nashua High School South.

On the desk in her office, Seusing had "M&M Men" toys, which dispensed chocolate candies from the figurines' arms into the hands of student and staff. But Abodeely convinced Seusing to set a healthier example for Dr. Crisp students.

Seusing joined Weight Watchers, and in seven months, the "M&M Men" were gone and Seusing was 75 pounds lighter. At the next open house, Seusing stood next to a 75-pound student to show them the difference.

"I said, 'This is what I lost.' From there, the students really took off with it," Seusing said.

Soon, chips and cookies at snack time were replaced by yogurt and fresh veggies. Eight years later, the students are proud of their healthy eating.

Shantae Boucher, 8, likes watermelon and grapes. She drinks lots of water, too, and said healthy eating makes her feel better. Eight-year-old Jennelle Harrison agreed, although she prefers oranges.

All the healthy choices helps the kids stay attentive after snack time. Eight-year-old Sergio Ramirez said he likes bananas, carrots, cucumbers, and kiwis because they give him a boost.

"I feel energized," he said.

More than 90 percent of students in the district eat their lunch at school, whether it's free, reduced or full price. That figure is high compared to many schools in the state and region, DeRosa said.

Jeanette Kimbell, food service director for the Nashua School District, said all the city's schools use the same menu, which meets the Gold Award standards of the USDA. Dr. Crisp received the Silver Award because it lacked proper documentation in physical education.

Dr. Crisp principal Jane Quigley said the health programs are part of the school's emphasis on the "whole child" – focusing on more than just academics.

Ironically, Dr. Crisp School remains in a partnership with fast food giant McDonald's, a relationship that began in 2003. But there is a key difference between the initial days of the partnership and now, Quigley said: the fast-food chain gives the school coupons and certificates for free parfaits and apple crisps, rather than the traditional hamburgers and french fries.

"They've been very supportive in offering things from their healthy menu selection," Quigley said. "They're still part of us, but they transition with us."