Dallas schools' nutrition official to help Michelle Obama promote healthy menus

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Dallas schools' nutrition official to help Michelle Obama promote healthy menus

07:41 AM CDT on Friday, June 4, 2010

By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News
tgillman@dallasnews.com

WASHINGTON – One of the Dallas schools' top nutrition officials will be at the White House today to help first lady Michelle Obama promote healthier school menus.

Obama and the Agriculture Department have launched "Chefs Move to Schools," a program to encourage chefs nationwide to adopt local schools and create nutritious and affordable meals.

Among the hundreds of chefs, educators and school nutritionists on hand to promote the program will be Bradford Trudeau, a certified executive chef who serves as director of production and procurement at the Dallas Independent School District's Food and Child Nutrition Services department.

He lauded the first lady for bringing public awareness to school nutrition programs.

DISD spends about $80 million each year providing 120,000 lunches, 46,000 breakfasts and 10,000 after-school snacks.

"What we're trying to do is get local chefs involved in adopting a school and going out and doing nutritional education, talking to the kids about getting good nutrition, eating fresh fruits and vegetables," Trudeau said.

Dallas is one of a handful of school districts recognized for excellence by the School Nutrition Association, whose president, Dora Rivas, is executive director of child nutrition services at DISD and Trudeau's boss.

Trudeau said he was thrilled at the invitation to the White House, which he hasn't visited since taking a tour as a child. He views it as further recognition of Dallas' efforts to provide healthy meals.

"It's just another feather in our cap," he said.