Nutrition took center stage Thursday at Ventura's De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts as eight schools were honored for their work in getting students to eat better and be more active.

De Anza received the silver award in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's HealthierUS School Challenge. Bronze awards went to Anacapa, Balboa and Cabrillo middle schools and Buena, Foothill, Pacific and Ventura high schools.

USDA Food and Nutrition Service Regional Administrator Allen Ng was on hand for the awards ceremony.

According to Sandip Kaur, director of Nutrition Service for the California Department of Education, the Ventura Unified School District is one of only 16 in the state to be honored for its nutrition program.

"That puts you among the top 5 to 6 percent top districts in California to receive the award," Kaur said. "You have all the ingredients for success."

De Anza Principal Hector Guerrero said credit for the school's successful food and fitness program should go to Sandy Curwood, director of food and nutrition services for the district, and Rebecca Murphy, who runs the cafeteria at De Anza.

"We offered fresh fruits and vegetable in the premises for children to eat every day," Guerrero said. "We've also done away with food as a reward."

De Anza offers a fresh fruit and salad bar each day for 450 to 600 students, as well as healthy entrees, which Thursday included hamburgers on whole wheat buns or turkey sandwiches.

Guerrero said catering to students' palate can be a challenge, but he said schools have found that students make better food choices with offerings of tastings and food preparation lessons.

"They are all required to take a fruit or vegetable, and later on in the day, you'll see them munching carrots or taking raisins to class," Guerrero said. "You don't see as many kids as tired when they are in the classroom."

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Ventura schools honored for work helping with healthy eating habits