Maplewood Campus Registered Nurse Kylie Race, left, and Maplewood’s Food Service Manager Terry Ames prepared orange beef and broccoli for employees on Aug. 21.

CANTON -- An innovative healthy lunch program is taking shape at Maplewood Campus under the guidance of the wellness committee that sees participants getting cheap, easy to replicate lunches on Thursdays.

Kylie Race, a registered nurse at Maplewood, said the program offers employees $3 lunches with a recipe included so they can make the meal themselves.

Members of the wellness committee split up into groups of two with each group being assigned a Thursday in either August or September when they are expected to prepare a meal.

Depending on the success of the program the wellness committee may expand the program.

Race paired up with Maplewood’s Food Service Manager Terry Ames on Aug. 21 to work on their meal: orange beef and broccoli.

“They’re getting a good meal for $3,” Ames said.

The meal whipped up by Race and Ames weighs in at 508 calories including brown rice and sherbet.

“A lot of the CNA’s [certified nurses aides] have said they like it,” Race said of the healthy meal program, adding that they sold out at the first two lunches.