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Program Serves Up Healthy Lunches To Kids Over The Summer

MIAMI (CBS4) - School may be out for summer but Miami-Dade Public Schools food service employees are hard at work making sure that their students are still getting a proper lunch.

"They are very important because we have some kids that this is their only meal," said Lorraine Williams, a food service worker from Doral Middle School.

The nutritious meals are prepared, boxed and distributed with one important purpose in mind.

"Some of these students may not be able to consume healthy balanced meals during the summer so that is the purpose of the Summer Meal Plan – to provide nutritious healthy meals to students when school is out," said Olga Botero, a food and nutrition specialist with Miami-Dade Schools.

The students who receive the meals also receive free or reduced lunches during the school year. The boxed lunches served over the summer are handed out wherever the student is; whether at summer camp, a summer school session or at community center summer program.

Williams said the lunches are put together with the kids' taste in mind. A typical lunch includes a sandwich and several healthy goodies including fresh fruit.

"We have a turkey sandwich, cheese potato salad, milk, juice and chips," said Williams.

Not just any chips, baked chips –that's very important.

Seven school cafeterias across the county are used for the program which serves up 19,000 lunches Monday through Friday. The Summer Meal Plan runs for eight weeks.

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