DOWAGIAC — Making smarter decisions in the lunchroom does not just pay off in terms of children and teenagers experiencing better health and fitness.

For a group of Dowagiac Union High School students, purchasing food that is better for their hearts turned out to be better for their wallets, as well.

Last week, the district’s food services vendor, Sodexo, handed a $500 check over to the Chieftain Student Senate as reward for the high school’s performance in the company’s Healthy High School Challenge last fall. Throughout the month of October, Sodexo officials awarded the school points based on the amount of healthy decisions they made during lunchtime: be it purchasing a nutritious hot meal from the cafeteria or grabbing a low-fat dish from the snack bar.

Dowagiac was pitted against nearly 300 other high schools across the country for competition. The Chieftains winded up 80th out of 289 schools, said Deb Cahill, the district’s food services director.

This fall marked the third year that Union High students have participated in Sodexo’s Healthy High School Challenge, Cahill said. The goal of the program is to encourage students to enjoy food and beverages that are good for them during their lunch break.

While the terms “snack” and “healthy” typically do not mesh well together — especially in a cafeteria — in response to increased federal nutritional guidelines, Cahill and her staff have made strides to improve the different items the school offers at its snack bar, she said.

In place of traditional, high-fat potato chips, the cafeteria serves baked varieties of traditional brands, such as Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos — the baked Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are particularly popular, Cahill said. The staff also serve lighter versions of sweets as well, offering whole grain cookies, for instance.

These healthy snacks are in addition to the healthier lunches the kitchen has been producing over the years, with guidelines forbidding frying dishes or serving foods that contain trans fats, Cahill said. The cafeteria staff also ensure that students have ample access to fresh fruits and vegetables to enjoy with their meals.   

“It’s all good, healthy food,” Cahill said. “We’re not serving French fries out back.”

Sodexo employees are also encouraging students to drink healthier as well, serving different teas and flavored waters, such as Vitaminwater Zero. In fact, the school was awarded double points every time a student purchased bottled water during the competition, Cahill said.

Every year, Sodexo selects a different school club to which to donate the reward for the students’ participation in the Healthy High School Challenge. This year, the school administration recommended the student senate, whose members plan to use the money to purchase a new tug-of-war rope for competitions and spirit rallies, Cahill said.

The food services director said she is always impressed to see the strong student participation during the healthy food challenge every fall.

“It’s really interesting,” Cahill said. “As adults, we try to show kids the path they should take. Once they get on board and get excited about eating healthier, it’s fun to see.”