Dairy Council Announces 2024 Let’s Eat Healthy Award Winners

Dairy Council of California, a leader in nutrition education and advocacy, is proud to announce the winners of its fifth annual Let’s Eat Healthy Award. In support of its cause to elevate the health of children and communities through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating patterns, the Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative is honoring seven California nutrition champions. The award recognition program is a highlight of the Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative, which brings together educators, health professionals and community leaders to coordinate, collaborate and co-create opportunities for community health.   

“The Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative exemplifies the essential collaboration required to bolster the health of children, families and communities. This year's leadership award winners are champions making a profound impact by enhancing nutrition education, promoting access to nutritious foods and engaging in farm-to-school initiatives that educate on the vital contributions the California dairy community provides in supplying nutritious, local and sustainable foods,” stated California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. 

The 2024 Let’s Eat Healthy Leadership Award winners are:  

• Elk Grove Unified School District Food and Nutrition Services, Elk Grove 
• University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine Early Life Nutrition Research Team: Assistant Professor Dr. Karen Lindsay, Pediatrician Dr. Candice Taylor Lucas and medical student Helen Leka 
• Patrick Kelly, Key Account Manager for School and Food Service, Shehadey Enterprise Solutions 
• Nadine Braunstein, Associate Professor and Dietetic Internship Director, California State University, Sacramento 
• Devinder Kumar, Senior Director of Student Health and Wellness, Wonderful College Prep Academy, Delano 
• Kirsten Criswell, Coordinator, Santa Barbara County School Wellness Council, Santa Barbara 
• Vanessa Mendez, School Counselor, Edison Elementary, San Diego 

Let’s Eat Healthy Legacy Award, In Memory of;

• Robert Schram, Retired School Food Service Director, Lifetime Member of the California School Nutrition Association 

“We take immense pride in celebrating the recipients of this year's Let’s Eat Healthy Awards. The impactful efforts of these winners contribute significantly to enhancing nutrition education and promoting access to healthy food across California. Their work creates a positive impact on individuals and communities that will last for years to come,” remarked Amy DeLisio, CEO, Dairy Council of California. “We extend our sincere congratulations to the 2024 Let’s Eat Healthy Award winners and look forward to our continued partnership.” 

About Dairy Council of California 
Dairy Council of California is a nutrition organization working together with champions to elevate the health of children and communities through lifelong healthy eating patterns. Focusing on education, advocacy, dairy agricultural literacy and collaboration, Dairy Council of California advances the health benefits of milk and dairy foods as part of the solution to achieving nutrition security and sustainable food systems. Learn more at DairyCouncilofCA.org. 

About the Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative  
Launched by Dairy Council of California, Let’s Eat Healthy is an initiative that brings together community leaders and stakeholders with expertise in education, school foodservice, public health, health care and agriculture, inviting these change-makers to elevate the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating habits. Through coordination and collaboration, Let’s Eat Healthy strives to provide sustainable solutions to champion community health and make healthy, wholesome foods accessible to all. The Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative is driven to provide dynamic educational resources and tools, peer networking, amplification of best practices and the latest in nutrition information, uniting individuals and organizations through shared values.