Take Out vs. Dine In
Machias Memorial High School Bulldogs are ready for a change in 2022.
For many years, school meals for Machias Memorial High School (MMHS) students have been prepared in the kitchen of the adjacent Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School. The to-go style meals are served from a kitchenette area at MMHS. Throughout the current pandemic, the meals are packed in styrofoam and transported to MMHS in hot bags.
BEFORE. To-go meals, made at the adjacent elementary school, were served to students from a kitchenette area at Machias Memorial High School.
Given the logistics, this frequently results in meals that are not as nutritious or appealing as they could be if they were prepared and served on site as dine in. A major kitchen remodel was definitely needed to make positive changes in MMHS school meal program.
Working with Healthy Acadia’s Let’s Go team, the school set Let’s Go! nutrition goals for their students and sought support to help make their healthy school kitchen makeover a reality.
AFTER. The new, fully-equipped, licensed kitchen at Machias Memorial High School
They applied for and were awarded a mini-grant from Healthy Acadia and Maine Health Let’s Go! that has helped advance their proposed project to fully equip and license a kitchen on the high school campus. Kitchen equipment obtained through the grant was a catalyst to help kick-off the project.
In 2022, Machias Memorial High School students shall have access to healthy and nutritious meals that are prepared and served right on site, in their own fully-equipped kitchen! The students can now count on fresh, more appetizing and appealing school meals with fresh, and geared toward high school students.
Let’s Go! is a nationally recognized obesity prevention initiative working with communities to create environments that support healthy eating and active living. Healthy Acadia and Maine Health Let’s Go aim to help school increase the nutritional quality of food served, make the healthy choice the easy choice, and improve the perception of school meals. Healthy Acadia and Maine Health Let’s Go! are thrilled to support schools like Machias Memorial High School in setting nutrition wellness goals and striving to achieve them.
Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 Wellness Goals:
5 or more fruits & vegetables
2 hours or less recreational screen time*
1 hour or more of physical activity
0 sugary drinks, more water & low fat milk
*Keep TV/Computer out of the bedroom. No screen time under the age of 2.
About the Let’s Go! Program (PDF brochure)
We encourage you to connect with us to support your local School, Early Childhood Center or After School site in setting and achieving these Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 healthy initiatives for 2022. For more information contact Sandy Fortin at sandy.fortin@healthyacadia.org or (207) 667-7171 Ext. 228.