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Keller ISD reports a small uptick in school-lunch participation after 'Eat the Rainbow' campaign
Summary
District registered dietitian Kate McWilliams told SHAC the elementary "Eat the Rainbow" promotion (March 2—6) produced a roughly 2% increase in cafeteria participation during campaign week and the district plans to expand nutrition promotions and an A-to-Z salad bar.
Kate McWilliams, the district's registered dietitian, told the Student Health Advisory Committee on April 20 that Keller ISD's "Eat the Rainbow" campaign — a color-themed, educational promotion implemented the week of March 2—6 at elementary campuses — produced a modest increase in participation and strong engagement from students and cafeteria managers.
"We saw a 2% increase during campaign week compared to the same menu cycle previously," McWilliams said, noting that while 2% may seem small, on a districtwide scale it represents a meaningful shift in whole-fruit and vegetable selection. The campaign featured a different color each day, handouts for students to take home and a photo/display contest among cafeteria managers.
McWilliams said the campaign aimed to increase exposure to a wider variety of fruits and vegetables, emphasize whole fruit over juice and teach students how different colored produce contributes different nutrients. She also described districtwide expansion that followed: an A-to-Z salad bar implemented at elementary, middle and high school campuses for the remainder of March to reinforce the same educational message.
Chair Summer Crow praised the nutrition team's work, saying the slides and photos showed high student engagement. McWilliams said staff creativity and manager competition were central to the campaign's success and suggested implementing similar nutrition-focused promotions more frequently and across grade levels.
The district did not provide granular participation counts (raw meal numbers or per-campus breakdowns) in the meeting; McWilliams framed the 2% change relative to the prior menu cycle and emphasized the need for additional campaigns and expanded feedback mechanisms to better understand student response.
