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Picture walking in the cafeteria expecting the same food you got last week. But when you get up there, you see lots of fun new items on the line. This is what the lunch ladies at our school have been working for. They are adding new items and making things better for students. I interviewed Amanda Waits, one of the lunch ladies, and this is what she said.
1. What changes have you made to the lunch menu?
-Vickie Coffey, Director of Nutrition Services, has been working on adding many new menu items that are geared toward each season. She has added a lot of new fresh Chef Salads and cold sandwiches for the Spring season. Specifically at the Jr High, we have been trying to add different options for lunch and breakfast to mix it up and keep foods exciting.
The lunch ladies' want us to get more fresh fruits and vegetables like these.
2. Why do you think these changes are necessary?
- I think these changes are necessary because serving the same meals can become monotonous and boring. Students (and us staff!) can get bored and uninterested in eating those same meals. Diversity is what makes eating enjoyable! It is also so fun to see students trying new foods that they might not normally try!
3. What drives you to keep going?
- Finding new foods that the students will be 'over the moon' for! Seeing students excited to eat school lunch, running up to the line wanting to make sure they don't miss out on the meal!
This is one of the lunch ladies' goals.
4. What changes do you plan to make in the future?
-My hopes are to introduce a more cultural diverse meals- meals from different countries and regions. Also, finding ways to add more fruits and vegetables into our main menu items while still keeping them delicious is a fun challenge! Being able to add those fruits and veggies into the main entree will help us ensure each student is getting healthy nutrients they need! And, I would like to see more homemade/home style meals.
A lot of families are super busy in the evenings and meal time has become a lot of fast-food. I would love to see the students get a chance to try that home style cooking!
5. What is your goal for the school meals?
-My goal is to maintain the health standards that we are currently upholding: low sugar, low sodium, whole grains, fruits and veggies, whole making our menu items fresh and new! I'd love to see the students get more involved in choosing the meals, taste testing new recipes and even helping cook the menu items so they are able to see what it takes for our staff to create exciting meals while still meeting our state & federal guidelines!
Another goal we have is to grow our Farm to School program. This program will give us access to fresh, local foods along with teaching students how and where our food comes from!
So now that you understand what changes are made and why, have fun with the new options for lunch and breakfast at EJHS!
Authors Bio:
Laura is a 6th grader who loves reading, writing, being with her family, and playing with her dog Mabel. Read her other article for this issue using this: The Academic Super Bowl Competition
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