Penny McConnell
Penny McConnell, RD, SFNS, began her passion for nutrition 48 years ago. She has brought that passion to Fairfax County for over 46 years and currently is director of Food and Nutrition Services for Fairfax County Public Schools.
“My mantra is to talk, serve and teach nutrition,” Penny said in a recent interview. “My staff and I are nutrition professionals, not just meal providers. I remain visible and work outside my comfort zone in order to be on the cutting edge of nutrition and programming.”
“You have to talk with your customer,” she emphasized. Penny and her staff do just that when teaching in the classroom and through “report cards” from students. And no item goes on the menu unless it has passed a student taste party.
Penny serves food items that follow the federal, state and local government dietary guidelines. She has invariably been ahead of the curve in many cases such as increasing whole grains and reducing sodium.
“I have found that to teach nutrition, beautiful, colorful nutrition educational materials are invaluable,” Penny says. “It may cost more, but if materials don’t catch the eye of the students and parents, they won’t be read.” Penny and her staff are continually in the classroom at the invitation of teachers to complement the county’s nutrition education curriculum.
Among Penny’s favorite innovative programs for elementary school children is last year’s 9-5-2-1-0 Zip Code to Your Health. Through song and a variety of activities involving classroom, physical education and music teachers, the zip code taught them on a daily basis to: get 9 hours of sleep, 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, no more than 2 hours of screen time, at least 1 hour of exercise, and 0 sugary drinks. The popular program will be repeated this year.
Kids Cooking for Grade 4 is a 17-page program of fun, interactive activities teaching children basic nutrition, healthy snacking, safety skills in the kitchen, and much more.
And coming this year is the 5 Star Lunch. Animated colored stars representing the entrée, bread, vegetable or fruit, and milk will identify each menu component on the serving line. Students must select at least 3 of the stars.
But students aren’t the only customer. Penny is also responsible for senior centers, meals on wheels, and a diverse multi-cultural and multi-lingual population. One of her biggest challenges is the expectation of groups or parent beyond what is realistic.
As concluding advice, Penny counsels, “As a child nutrition professional, you need to keep paddling and never give up as you tell the nutrition story. It is very challenging, but the rewards are countless.”
Penny holds a B.S. from the University of Manitoba, Canada, and an M.S. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She is past president of the School Nutrition Association, the Virginia School Nutrition Association, and Global Child Nutrition Foundation. Penny has also been very active in the Virginia and American Dietetic Associations. She has received numerous awards for her innovative programs.
Click on these links to learn more about the programs referenced above:
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