Published August 29, 2024 by WMTW.
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SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Shawn Perry, the nutrition program director for the South Portland School Department, is one of three winners of the inaugural "Gulf of Maine Tastemaker Award." The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is recognizing local organizations for their contributions to a "healthy and sustainable seafood industry."
“We have a passion for feeding students and making sure they get a healthy meal," Perry explained when asked why he chose to work in the field of children's nutrition.
According to GMRI, Perry served fish at least twice a month during the 2023-2024 school year. Scientist Kyle Foley said, “Shawn and his staff have just been super enthusiastic and bought in about putting local seafood on the menu from the start.”
The award recognizes more than just putting fish on the menu, though. Foley was struck by Perry's creativity and the way he incorporates different cultures in the kitchen. Working with several community leaders, Perry learned how to prepare fish in ways familiar to South Portland's immigrant and refugee students.
“The recipes are amazing," Foley said. "And their staff is doing an awesome job testing them out and trying to get them on the menu more regularly.”
Perry was surprised by the positive response students have had to those recipes. He said, “I can’t think of a fish recipe we have done that hasn’t been popular."
The award comes as the research institute continues an initiative to get more seafood into Maine schools. It also comes at a time when schools across the country are working to meet new USDA guidelines that say student meals must have less sodium and sugar and more of things like whole grains and milk.
Jane McLucas, the state's child nutrition director, said, "There's some fantastic things going on across the state with local foods and scratch cooking. It's not like it used to be. We've evolved."
Perry does not anticipate facing too many challenges when trying to meet those guidelines in the coming years. He said he hopes to add even more fish to the menu.
All students in Maine can eat a free breakfast and lunch at school.