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Districts across the country are struggling to meet new USDA requirements for healthy school meals. But one California district went even further than the federal rules and saw an unpleasant result: a 25 percent drop in participation. The standards imposed by the wellness committee forced the removal of some popular items (even though they met federal standards) such as pizza (though since reinstated), hot dogs, corn dogs, tortilla chips/boats, “pre-fab” chicken products like patties and nuggets and any kind of burger except those made with grass-fed beef.
When San Francisco Unified School District was looking for ways to increase its participation, particularly among these who qualified for free- and reduced priced meals, it looked into the physical space and service style of the cafeterias. The district partnered with design firm IDEO to create a space that would be welcoming, encourage socialization, be attuned to the students’ developmental needs and ultimately encourage more students to participate in the meal program. After 21 weeks of research IDEO developed some cool new dining facilities and service styles for the students.
In the Sausalito Marin City School District in California, fresh, local, organic, seasonal, sustainable, non-GMO—or FLOSN—is the foundation of the school’s entire foodservice program. Thanks to a partnership launched in 2013 between the local nonprofit Turning Green and Bayside Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, 135 students as well as staff and faculty have access to FLOSN food for breakfast and lunch every single school day in a program called The Conscious Kitchen. The program has since expanded and the schools implementing The Conscious Kitchen have seen a reduction in costs.
With new USDA regulations, sodium has become one of the battlegrounds in school food. Until recently, no one was talking about how salt affected children’s taste and flavor preferences. But that’s exactly what Dr. Julie Manella, of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, has researched. Manella’s research looked at how tastes develop and change over time, and she also had a warning for child nutrition professionals: Worry less about sodium and more about added sugars.
In child nutrition there are lots of conversations about getting kids to eat vegetables. But two schools in New York City have the opposite problem: The students wanted an all-vegetarian menu. Starting with a gradual rollout of vegetarian options, the schools, with the help of a nonprofit, have gone meatless and seen an increase in participation.
Plate waste is a well-known and documented problem in school cafeterias. Ensuring students eat the vegetables served during school meals is another struggle for school operators and nutritionists. A new study looking at how school lunch entrées and vegetables are paired might help tackle both issues. Food pairing often brings to mind wine recommendations on the menu at upscale restaurants, but researchers at Texas A&M University wanted to study food pairings at school cafeterias. They found school meals paired with popular vegetables are less likely to wind up in the garbage bins.
To get more kids participating in the school meal program, Dallas ISD created a new grab-and-go sandwich and salad program called Smart Boxes this year. Taking the popular concept of the Lunchable as model, the Smart Boxes contain all the elements (minus milk) of a reimbursable meal in a cool, environmentally friendly package.
Seven years ago a concerned parent formed the Life Time Foundation to help schools provide healthier, better quality meals for students. The foundation works to eliminate seven ingredients typically found in processed food—high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, bleached flour, trans fats and hydrogenated oils, and antibiotics and hormones. Through grants, the foundation helps districts subsidize food and equipment purchases to create and produce these menus.
You don’t often hear about districts returning their high schools to the federal meals program, but that’s exactly what Chesterfield County Schools in Virginia did this year. In an attempt to create a wellness policy with some real teeth and because of an increase in families needing federal meal assistance the district put its 14 high schools back on the National School Lunch Program after being off for 20 years. With the move, the foodservice team also created new menu additions, including a Chipotle-style concept being offered every three weeks.
Most people don’t understand the ins and outs and complexities of a school meals program. That includes the very students being served. One Massachusetts school is working to eliminate that by inviting classes into the kitchen for a behind the scenes look. During the field trip, students learn about how their food is cooked and why certain foods—think fruits and vegetables—are good for them.
