Gracious hat tip to Angela Olson-Heiden who read my post earlier this week about the fight to end childhood obesity, and drew my attention to an exciting contest taking place this year in Minnesota.

You know that award-winning television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? Well, several companies in Minnesota (most notably Learning ZoneXpress),  along with the Minnesota School Nutrition Association,  recently sponsored an Extreme Cafeteria Makeover contest for local high schools.  Out of the 19 schools that entered, Glenville-Emmons High School was declared the winner. The prize:  Its cafeteria will undergo a complete transformation over the summer and will be unveiled to students in the fall.

Thanks to the school and community’s contribution of $20,000, the Extreme Cafeteria Makeover groups’ donation of $50,000, and Glenville area contractors who are providing much of the labor at no cost, the revamped cafeteria will feature a serving line with hot wells for different foods and special areas for salads, as well as new flooring, tables, stools, lunch trays, serving equipment, staff uniforms, menu boards and colorful posters.

And of course, most importantly, the cafeteria’s new menu will feature a greater selection of nutritious items and locally grown food.

The purpose of the makeover is to promote nutrition and health education at the winning school, which organizers hope will then set an example for other schools to follow. To that end, they funded a video about the project to be shown at national food service meetings (like the Annual National Conference of the School Nutrition Association in Las Vegas, and the Child Nutrition Industry Conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.). Sponsors also hope the video will demonstrate innovative foodservice solutions and fresh economical menu ideas to inspire other schools during these challenging economic times.

Take a look at the Extreme Cafeteria Makeover contest trailer:

Great idea! Come fall, I hope that students at Glenville-Emmons will be treated to a heaping portion of nutrition and wellness classes, along with an extra side order of physical education, to complement and enhance the healthy lifestyle promoted by their new cafeteria.

(D.A.K.Photography’s flickr photostream/Creative Commons)