Balanced School Lunches Benefit the Nardin Community

Clara O'Bannon '23 ~ November 2021

In the spring of 2013, the plan for a Sustainable Kitchen at Nardin was authorized by the Board of Trustees. Nardin parents and faculty met with a consultant in order to present a more sustainable and healthy dining experience with the guidance of Nardin’s former Vice President of Finance and Operations, Leslie Johnson.

Chef Julie Levin said the plan consisted of diverting waste, cooking meals from scratch, and sourcing locally. She has been working at Nardin since August 2013, and was named Chef in October 2013.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, eating balanced meals is important because it allows the body and brain to get energy to think and stay active. Other benefits include lower risk of diseases such as heart disease and intake of essential vitamins.

According to Chef Julie, the first adversity the Sustainable Kitchen faced was estimating the amount of food to cook. She still works diligently with the kitchen team to estimate how much food to make each day using the help of production logs and detailed records of how many people are in the building.

“Overproduction leads to waste and ultimately costs money, while underproduction leads to dissatisfied clients who may choose not to continue to participate and also ultimately costs money,” Chef Julie said.

Chef Julie said that paying close attention to the amount of meals purchased and community feedback has opened the door to buying some of the local products for less money.

“I could offer the potential of the sale of nearly 1200 pounds of ground beef. By making a commitment like that with a farming partner, we’re able to guarantee sales and often lower our price point,” Chef Julie said.

The Sustainable Kitchen is operating effectively even with the setbacks granted by COVID-19. This year, the kitchen team wears masks, table seating has been reduced to five students per table, the Dining Hall windows remain open, and the salad bar has been removed.

Although this school year is abnormal, the kitchen team is still working hard to produce the nutritionally rich and delicious food the Nardin community loves.

Title Photo: Elizabeth Dodman