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DETROIT - She's known as the Head Lunch Lady at Detroit Public Schools Community District.
“I love that. I love to have that recognition,” said Betti Wiggins, Executive Director of Detroit Public Schools Office of Nutrition
Next week, Betti Wiggins goes to the White House as an invited guest of First Lady Michelle Obama, for the Let's Move Celebratory Event. Wiggins earned the invite. Under her leadership, the office of School Nutrition at DPSCD has followed all the guidelines of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010.
“It took a lot of testing of menus, it took retraining my staff, it took rewriting recipes and finding vendors who would be engaged in healthy foods, starting school gardens" said Wiggins.
She says those changes brought positive changes to cafeterias across the district.
“We haven't served iceberg lettuce since 2009. We have brassicas, and greens, and baby spinach. We have asparagus,” said Wiggins. “Every Monday for the last five years we’ve had a meatless Monday.”
When Wiggins learned about the invitation she says it was a dream come true and she's looking forward to all the activities Mrs. Obama has planned for her and the other 19 invited guests.
“There's all kinds of activities associated around the White House garden. Specifically they haven't sent me an agenda. I just got my secret service clearance. I'm thrilled about that."
Wiggins says learning to make correct food choices should start when kids are young
“It's just about introducing good, wholesome foods to kids and over time changing their palettes
Wiggins says she is as strong advocate of Mrs. Obama's Let's Move Program which was designed to help solve the epidemic of childhood obesity. Wiggins says it's working.
“I'm going to tell her, “Thank you for caring about our kids.’”
To find out more about DPSCD Click Here.