Menus – TrayTalk.org

Keeping MS Students Excited with New Menu Options

Scratch-made tomato bisque, charcuterie trays and peanut butter yogurt dip are just a few of the new offerings on the menu for students of DeSoto County Schools in Mississippi. This year, Child Nutrition Director Alex Hallmark hired a registered dietitian and worked with the district’s nutrition team to update breakfast and lunch options so the students would not get bored with school meals. Student feedback has been so positive, that many of the dishes are being served regularly, with new ideas in the works for the future.

Plant-based Options Help Cater to VA Students’ Needs

When planning menus, the nutrition team at Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia remains mindful that their student body comes from 119 different countries. To help serve many different dietary needs, district menus include daily plant-based meals with a variety of options for students.

“When students come through our lunch lines, we want them to taste something from their home. We incorporate herbs, spices and entrees with global inclusivity,” said Dr. Eric Coleman, MBA, M.Ed, CSC, Director, Office of School Nutrition Services for Alexandria City Public Schools.

Students in Maine Learn “A to Zs” of Nutrition

One can eat their way through the alphabet by simply enjoying a cup of alphabet soup but accomplishing this on a daily basis is a lot more fun, educational, healthier and pleasing to the taste buds.

Students in the Windham Raymond School District (RSU 14) in Maine are enjoying nutritious lunches made from locally grown fruits and vegetables representing each letter of the alphabet in conjunction with March’s National Nutrition Month. March kicked off with a scrumptious lunch featuring asparagus and apples and will conclude with a flavorful Zucchini recipe.

Iron Chef Breakfast Competition in NY School

Hosting Iron Chef-style competitions has become an anticipated special event for Mechanicville City School District students in New York. Deborah Mackey, Food Service Director in the district, helps to put on about four each year, typically giving student teams a specific ingredient to include for a lunch dish. Past competitions have featured locally grown beef and apples, but the focus has never previously been on breakfast.

Mackey introduced the idea recently and held a breakfast competition to lead up to National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), a great opportunity for students to try new menu items and focus on the importance of breakfast.

Breakfast is a Welcome Addition to School Routines

School breakfast offers quick and easy solutions for families to make sure students start their rushed mornings with a balanced meal. This year, an increasing number of students have access to free breakfast as more states are providing meals at no cost for all students. Schools in Pennsylvania and Connecticut are seeing great benefits from students and their teachers.

According to Kristina Roberge, Food Service Coordinator for Groton Public Schools (CT), parents say their children want to get to school with plenty of time to head to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Minnesota Thursday Program Kicks Off Black History Month

Food can be a window into different cultures and a learning tool to introduce students to meals not typically served within their homes. To that end, students in 16 schools across Roseville Area and St. Anthony Schools (MN) were treated to made-from-scratch menu items from St. Paul-based West Indies Soul Food chef Sharon Richards-Noel on Feb. 1^st in conjunction with Black History Month. The menu included sizzling jerk chicken drumsticks, seasoned curried rice, and delicious sides of Caribbean black beans and watermelon radishes.

School Lunch in a Coastal Maine Community

In between the healthy versions of tried-and-true kid favorites, menus at Maine’s RSU 23 feature specials to rival local lunch hot spots. Students can choose dishes including Chicken Bahn Mi style whole grain rice bowls and featured entree salads, like this month’s Autumn Salad of grilled chicken, cinnamon roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, blueberries and sunflower seeds over mixed greens with homemade maple balsamic dressing. The Food and Nutrition Services team prides itself on including made-in-Maine foods on breakfast and lunch menus every day for its 700 students in three schools along the pristine Maine coastline of Old Orchard Beach.

‘Takeover Tuesday’ Nutrition Lessons in Georgia Schools

The Bartow County School System nutrition department is finding creative ways to educate GA students about where their food comes from. With weekly ‘Takeover Tuesday’ lessons, they’re working to engage students on everything from taking care of chickens to learning about pollinators and edible gardens.

“Each week at a different school, the nutrition department hosts ‘Takeover Tuesday’ events where we participate in educational lessons and enhance the farm-to-school experience for the students,” said Jessica Chandler, School Nutrition Program Specialist for Bartow County School System.

Seattle Schools Source Salmon from Native American Tribe

Many school nutrition programs were forced to take a closer look at how they operate and where they source their food following pandemic-related supply chain challenges. For Seattle Public Schools (WA), that meant new opportunities to consider local sources to supplement shortages. Through assistance from Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE), the district now serves locally caught salmon for lunch several times a year from Muckleshoot Seafood Products, a company owned by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

Historic Farm in Delaware Maintained by School District

A unique partnership between Penn Farm in Northern Delaware and the nutrition department of Colonial School District provides urban students opportunities to learn about farming and fresh produce for school meals.

The farmland, which dates dates back to the 1700s, is leased from the land trustees for use by William Penn High School agricultural and culinary programs. The land is maintained year round by the school district, with vegetables grown for use by the nutrition department in menus.