Trays of sizzling french fries are whisked from the back kitchen to the front lines, containers of rice and fresh vegetables are filled to the brim and fresh fruit is set out within grabbing distance as cafeteria team members get ready for the next stream
of hungry students to arrive. This scene plays out in Morgan Hill and Gilroy school cafeterias on any given school day just as it has played out for decades. But the difference between now and “then” is the growing awareness of locally grown and healthier food choices, as evidence of this awareness is now reflected in the menus offered at local schools.
With the recent addition of a new management team in the food services department of Morgan Hill Unified School District, plans are underway to roll out a new healthier menu in the new year.
“Our current menu is comprised of the most popular items from our sales data from the end of last school year,” said Kirsten Perez, MHUSD assistant superintendent of business services. That feedback will be used to develop the new menu, in which they hope to introduce more organic vegetables and fruits. In the meantime, changes made in current menu selections reflect this move toward healthy.
“We are changing some of our offerings to include many more ‘made from scratch’ items instead of pre-packaged food,” Perez said. “We take great pride in serving healthy, fresh and nutritious food to our students. We value our ‘student first’ approach and strive towards creating a healthier school environment.”
The school district is also considering creating a “farm to table” program that spotlights produce grown by local farms. Forming a partnership with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, as adopted by the Gilroy Unified School District, would be a step in the “farm to table” direction.
“We would be interested in working with CAFF when we introduce our farm to table program,” Perez said.
In addition to the CAFF partnership, which brings locally-grown produce to school cafeterias and helps educate students about the produce, GUSD introduced the Think CA program this month. The program’s objectives include utilizing food options made from scratch with less ingredients, localy grown products and no artificial additives.
“We are fully into new products, all natural ham and turkey, less processed, more scratch cooking,” said Nalani Battaglia, child nutrition consultant for Sodexo School Services.
The school district’s established partnership with CAFF allows it a direct avenue to the local farmers.
“The Think CA program not only brings more healthy and creative meals to the cafeteria, but it helps shift demand to local farms and ranches,” said Sheila Golden, CAFF regional food systems manager
Think CA is one of several programs in the “farm to school” network helping to create a new generation of eaters, as well as transforming school cafeterias into valuable learning spaces, according to Golden.
Morgan Hill and Gilroy school district representatives say cafeteria staffs, which man the kitchens day to day, are very valuable and major components of all school cafeterias who contribute to the planning of the healthier menus.
“We are currently working with staff to develop the new menu items,” Perez said. “Staff have been very open to the idea of more scratch cooking and are excited to help in recipe development and execution.”
Geri Sadler, GUSD food service manager, said the kitchen staff is not only responsible for preparing the food but also for its presentation, which can make it more appealing to students.
“From staffing’s point of view, we’re really emphasizing the presentation of our food,” Sadler said. “We do encourage (the staff) to produce a product that they can be proud of. I think that’s
very important.”
Gilroy High School Food Service Assistant Tami Taylor has witnessed first hand the impact adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the menus has made.
“The kids actually ask for more broccoli,” she said. “They ask for extra bell peppers. And all the teachers eat (at my station) because I have all the fresh produce.”
Tina Latimore has a 20-year history in Morgan Hill school district kitchens. Currently in her fourth year at P.A. Walsh Elementary School, she feels good about the food she serves to the kids.
“We always have a really good assortment,” she said. “We have the spinach, broccoli and carrots, and we always have fruit, too.”
But when it comes right down to it, what do the kids think about the healthier options being offered? A handful of students polled in Morgan Hill gave the menu two thumbs up.
P.A. Walsh student Kai Lafontine, 6, said his favorite food is the burrito, “because they have beans inside them,” while third-grader Natalie Moreno likes all the menu selections. Samantha Estrada, 8, likes the variety of menu options.
“I like the apples and the Pop Tarts,” she said.
