Health and Wellness Programs

HISD Nutrition Services takes a well-rounded approach to nutrition and views nutrition education as a key component of our program. The following describes our health and wellness programs.

Food Services Support Facility Tours

Tours of the state-of-the-art Hexser T. Holliday Food Services Support Center are available to PTO/PTA’s, community groups, and student groups of all ages. Tour content is customized for your group needs. The tour typically includes a walk-through of the cook-chill production areas, the large bakery, the warehousing and transportation areas and can include chef and dietitian presentations. Tours usually take 1 and ½ hours and must be arranged in advance. Contact Nutrition Services at 713-556-2575 to arrange your tour.

Classroom Nutrition Presentations and Student Events

The Nutrition Services dietitians visit schools to talk to students directly in the classroom about health and nutrition. To schedule, please complete this request form.

Nutrition Services Presentations

Nutrition Services team members are available to speak to your school's PTO/PTA  or community groups. Learn about the operations of the seventh largest school district food service program in the country, and how we can help your school and our community benefit the most from this important nutritional program. Contact Nutrition Services at 713-556-2938 for more information.

Health Fairs

At community health fairs, Nutrition Services staff educates students and parents about the importance of health and nutrition. The staff provides helpful information and tips for eating right and staying active.

Nutrition Services welcome the opportunity to participate in community health fairs. To schedule, please complete this request form.

Mobile Dairy Classroom

In partnership with Southwest Dairy Farmers Association, Nutrition Services brings a fun nutrition education program to students. The Mobile Dairy Classroom teaches students about the dairy industry and features a traveling milking parlor, a live cow and a presentation from a Texas dairy farmer. The dairymen travel to school campuses demonstrating how to milk a cow and describing the process of how milk gets from the farm to the consumer. This innovative program brings the dairy farming experience directly to our city-based students.

These age-appropriate demonstrations incorporate several subject areas that include math, science, health (nutrition), and agriculture, all presented in an outdoor classroom format that gives students a rich learning experience. Students also receive an activity book that teaches them even more about dairy and nutrition, and is full of learning-enhanced student activities.

This program is designed to teach students:

• the characteristics and anatomy of dairy cows;
• the importance of dairy foods for good health;
• the modern milking process; and
• the modern environmental and food safety practices.

The Mobile Dairy Classroom is a part of the Southwest Dairy Museum and is sponsored by the Southwest Dairy Farmers Association at no cost to schools. Requests should be made at www.southwestdairyfarmers.com.

School Open House Events

Nutrition Services staff welcomes the opportunity to participate in school open house events. These events provide a great setting for Nutrition Services staff to educate students and parents about the importance of health and nutrition while providing and distributing specific information about HISD's Nutrition Services program. To schedule, please complete this request form.