Student Taste-tests – 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.

Colorado Students Enjoy Scratch Baked Foods

Students in Cherry Creek School District 5 (Colorado) enjoy sandwiches on fresh bread, granola in their parfaits and dinner rolls with their salad made fresh from scratch by members of the nutrition team. For more than five decades, the district southeast of Denver has been making in-house baked goods to serve students. The bakers make everything from whole wheat bread and streusel breakfast bread to cinnamon rolls, cornbread and crumble topping for fresh apple crisp. Through the years, recipes have been adjusted and new items have been added to the menu.

School Cafeterias Celebrate the Holidays

Holiday sights, sounds and smells are buzzing in school kitchens and cafeterias across the country! From school nutrition staff in Texas wearing matching shirts with holiday messages, to students making latkes to share with classmates in Massachusetts and gingerbread cookie making in Georgia, holiday celebrations entail long traditions as well as new ways to get festive.

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.

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.

Students Help Pick New Menu Items

Thanks to the special efforts of their classmates this summer, Littleton Public Schools students in CO will see some new breakfast and lunch items on their menus. During summer break, six Littleton students had an exclusive opportunity to join their school nutrition department at the nation’s largest K-12 food and exhibit show, School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference, with the mission to assist in taste-testing potential new menu items.

Growing a School Garden Program in Wisconsin

Students at two Madison Metropolitan School District (WI) elementary schools have benefitted from local partnerships to help grow their garden program, with an added bonus of more fresh food for school lunches. The students started lettuce crops in their classrooms and finished growing them in a community garden to enjoy at lunch.

“The first time we served the lettuce as part of a side salad, it was great to hear the students say they could taste the difference,” said Chef Joshua Perkins, Director of Food Nutrition Madison Metropolitan School District.

Learning Extends to the Lunchroom in Minnesota

The cafeterias of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools (MN) not only serve nutritious foods, they also work to offer students experiential learning opportunities in the cafeteria. The nutrition program introduces students to culturally relevant foods through a monthly program and has developed a life skills lesson component to a coffee delivery program at the high school. Through regular sampling in the cafeteria, events with local farmers and student gardens, the nutrition program engages students of all different ages in nutrition education.