Jeanne Pierce
Food Service Director, Exeter School District
Jeanne has been the food service director in Exeter for 6 years. She is also the president-elect for the NH School Nutrition Association and is busy planning next fall's conference. Since becoming Food Service Director, Jeanne has taken the school food lunch program from heat and serve back to cooking from scratch. Her approach has been to take "baby steps" -- making changes too fast results in revolt from the kids, she says. It’s not just the kids who need to be retrained-- the kitchen staff and the whole school community need to be re-educated about school food. She has been working in the kitchen trying out new recipes, encouraging the cooks to bring in ideas and to help them take ownership of the changes that are being made to provide students with healthier, fresh meal options. Starting this year, her program is receiving help from a Community Wellness group. The group is made up of farmers, students, parents and other community members concerned about the health of kids. Because of the efforts of this group, Exeter High School will be installing a school garden, and the kitchen staff will be taking a 5-week cooking course on how to use fresh herbs; how to make healthy snacks, recipes for grains and beans, vegetable salads; and how to use local foods. Also within this group is a farm to school coordinator who has volunteered to be in contact with the farmers and Jeanne for this upcoming growing season. Parents will be able to participate in Family Food Nights, another cooking and nutrition series, to learn about fresh foods. Led by Jeanne, the school is participating in the Healthy US Schools Challenge, a program that encourages healthy eating and physical activity; Exeter is one of the only school districts in the state doing so. Jeanne’s advice on making changes to a school meal program includes starting with one thing, knowing changes are going to take a long time to be implemented and accepted, not trying anything alone, and being open to suggestions and help. As she says, "If you won’t serve it to your own kids, why are you serving it to the students?"
Learn more about the Exeter School District
Jeanne has been the food service director in Exeter for 6 years. She is also the president-elect for the NH School Nutrition Association and is busy planning next fall's conference. Since becoming Food Service Director, Jeanne has taken the school food lunch program from heat and serve back to cooking from scratch. Her approach has been to take "baby steps" -- making changes too fast results in revolt from the kids, she says. It’s not just the kids who need to be retrained-- the kitchen staff and the whole school community need to be re-educated about school food. She has been working in the kitchen trying out new recipes, encouraging the cooks to bring in ideas and to help them take ownership of the changes that are being made to provide students with healthier, fresh meal options. Starting this year, her program is receiving help from a Community Wellness group. The group is made up of farmers, students, parents and other community members concerned about the health of kids. Because of the efforts of this group, Exeter High School will be installing a school garden, and the kitchen staff will be taking a 5-week cooking course on how to use fresh herbs; how to make healthy snacks, recipes for grains and beans, vegetable salads; and how to use local foods. Also within this group is a farm to school coordinator who has volunteered to be in contact with the farmers and Jeanne for this upcoming growing season. Parents will be able to participate in Family Food Nights, another cooking and nutrition series, to learn about fresh foods. Led by Jeanne, the school is participating in the Healthy US Schools Challenge, a program that encourages healthy eating and physical activity; Exeter is one of the only school districts in the state doing so. Jeanne’s advice on making changes to a school meal program includes starting with one thing, knowing changes are going to take a long time to be implemented and accepted, not trying anything alone, and being open to suggestions and help. As she says, "If you won’t serve it to your own kids, why are you serving it to the students?"
Learn more about the Exeter School District
