Jennifer Bove Joins East Hampton and East Haddam Public Schools As New Director of Food & Nutrition Services

Jennifer Bove of Marlborough, CT has been hired by East Hampton and East Haddam Public Schools as the Director of Food and Nutrition Services.

As the Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Ms. Bove is responsible for planning menus, procuring high-quality, nutritious food, and promoting health and wellness to administrators, staff, students, and parents. She also ensures that she and her staff are meeting all federal and state requirements and regulations of the National School Lunch Program.

Ms. Bove prides herself on her cafeteria staffs’ creativity in the kitchen and credits the East Hampton School system for allowing her to try new things. Recently she began serving summer-inspired meals like Spinach, Strawberry and Grilled Chicken Salad on the outdoor patio at East Hampton High School, so students could enjoy their lunches outside on warm days.

“As a ‘foodie’ and a dietitian, I have always loved the challenge of making healthy food appealing, and there is no greater challenge than getting kids to eat healthy,” said Ms. Bove. “At East Hampton and East Haddam Public Schools, our goal is to work with the kids and parents to create meals that are enticing and nutritious, while continuing to follow the regulations set forth by the USDA in the National School Lunch Program.”

Ms. Bove attended the University of Connecticut where she earned a M.S. in Health Promotion in 2016 and was the recipient of the CT Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Outstanding Dietetics Student Award. She also holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Widener University. Ms. Bove previously worked as a per diem Registered Dietitian at Meriden Public Schools where she helped create new recipes for student meals, worked with the school nurses to improve allergy procedures, and helped launch the school’s district's menu app.

“I’ve always loved cooking and eating food, and as my children grew I became an expert at finding creative ways to get them to eat healthy nutritious foods,’ said Ms. Bove. “In 2012 I went back to school to become a Registered Dietitian because I knew I wanted to be a part of the growing movement to help students succeed by providing them with proper nourishment.”

Not only does Ms. Bove strive to provide her students with wholesome meals each day, she also does her part to keep the community healthy through participation in the AHM Coalition for a Healthy Empowered Community and as a volunteer at Food Share and Feeding Children Everywhere.

Looking ahead, Ms. Bove aims to continue educating the school and community on nutrition and will remain as engaged as possible to ensure students are receiving healthy meals they want to eat. In addition she hopes to enhance the quantity and variety of local food offerings by working with farms in the area.