School Lunch Gets Raves With Smoothies, Soups
The East Hampton school cafeterias resemble test kitchens these days, as parents, teachers, nutrition experts, and administrators have met monthly since September to review new elementary and middle school menus and adjust the food lineup based on student reaction and their own observations.
Cafeteria crews recently began blending smoothies, including one made with spinach, strawberries, bananas, and apple juice, which have been a hit at all three schools. Soups have reappeared on the menu at the John M. Marshall Elementary School and some foods were tweaked after they were reintroduced. A guest chef from Whitsons, the district’s food service contractor, has made a few appearances to liven up lunchtime.
Gone are the days when previously frozen, processed foods or nearly unidentifiable meats dominated the lunch menus. Kids in East Hampton schools now can choose grilled chicken ranch wraps, meatball Parmesan heroes, turkey tacos with brown rice and black beans, salads, guacamole and salsa, and roasted vegetables. There are more whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables as opposed to white breads and pastas and canned produce.
It’s all part of the East Hampton School District’s effort to revamp its food program, a charge in line with national food standards for schools, which is being led by a school lunch committee.
“We’ve been trying more wholesome foods. Chili, soups, potpies, turkey dinners,” Melissa Curran, an employee of Whitsons who manages its East Hampton service, said. “We’re going back to more of the wholesome foods rather than freezer-to-oven-to-plate meals. You have a home-cooked meal, which the kids really like.”
In particular, Beth Doyle, the elementary school principal, said she had made it her goal this year to push for improvements after hearing concerns about cafeteria food since her first day on the job in 2013.
“As the principal of the school, I feel that it’s my responsibility to make sure that our kids are eating well, enjoying what they are eating, and eating food that can sustain them throughout the school day. . . . We all have the mind-set of how can we have things that we know kids will eat, but that are also good for them,” Ms. Doyle said.
Ms. Doyle said the changes worked well so far, although their full impact will be more closely examined as the results of a district-wide, Internet food survey come in. So far, responses from 148 parents and 408 students in grades 4 through 12 have come in.
Questions about chocolate milk have been heard, which may cause the district to remove it from the cafeterias. During a Jan. 14 meeting, the school lunch committee discussed doing so as a way to reduce the sugar students consume. However, Ms. Doyle said the survey responses she had seen so far favor keeping chocolate milk.
School officials said the smoothies had created a lot of excitement. A guest chef was brought in to test smoothies before they were added as a regular offering. The students loved them. Ms. Curran said, “They came back for seconds and thirds.”
Indeed, on a recent Friday afternoon, several fifth-graders raved about them. They didn’t even mind the fact that they contained spinach. “They’re good,” Joana Gutierrez said. She liked the banana component the best. Another student, Richard Perez, said, “There’s not that much sugar. It’s great for kids, and it’s healthy.”
Smoothies are on the menu at John Marshall twice a week as the fruit offering, or available a la carte for 75 cents. They are also available every day in larger portions at the middle school for $1.75, and at the high school for $3.50. The high school smoothies sometimes include mango, pineapple, or yogurt. Cafeteria revenue is reported to be up this year, though the exact figure was not available by press time.
Charles Soriano, the middle school principal, said he was pleased that the district was “starting to act in ways that square with what we’re teaching kids. “We preach wellness and food awareness at the middle school, but we’re not always able to walk the talk with our cafeteria food choices. That’s changing.”