:: School Lunch Lady ::

Welcome to School Lunch Lady.com

It's no secret! Countless studies and classroom observations show that diet impacts academic achievement. Healthy kids find it easier to get good grades. Eating right along with physical activity is intregal to a healthy lifestyle. It would seem a simple task to provide nutritious meals to students, but providing is not as much a hurdle as getting them to eat. Facility and cost constraints may limit certain types of food being served, but there are many factors besides the food itself that influence what kids actually eat during the school day. It will take a team effort to develop and mold life long habits in our children. School lunch lady.com offers:

A forum for School Nutrition Professionals to share success stories, express frustrations, and learn from one another so to continue to prepare and serve nutritious and acceptable choices for our children during the school day.

A place for Parents to get an inside view and a grasp of the challenges of school meal programs and getting kids to eat.

A source for School Administrators to better comprehend the internal and external elements that effect the operational and fiscal performance of a district's meal program.

You don't say!

Dear School Lunch Lady - September 2010

They’re at it again! Some parents are revolting and demanding that pizza, chicken nuggets, and nachos, my most popular items, be removed from the menu. They offer me no suggestions for substitutes and also want organic produce. Last time I tried changing my costs went up 20% and my participation down 15%. I may go insane. Any ideas?

Maxed Out in the Midwest

Dear Maxed Out,

Ironically, those same parents were most likely the folks who introduced the kids to such food items in the first place! Parents mean well but need to be educated as to the cost and nutritional value of school meals by us and not the media. Before purging your menu, try another marketing approach. Participating in a “Back to School Night” or “Open House” is an effective place to enlighten parents by showing samples of your actual meals and getting to talk face to face. Parents don’t know your challenges and how hard it is to change kids’ eating habits. The first few times we put hamburgers on whole wheat buns, the kids ate the patty and threw away the bun! Good luck in a new year!

Organically,
SLL

Here's an idea!

Middle school students returning to Soquel Union Elementary District in Soquel, California, were welcomed with a nice surprise in the cafeteria. In response to student requests for more self-serve options, Cathy Giannini, Supervisor of Nutrition Services, has introduced a Theme Bar on Fridays. The first Friday was a Pasta Bar featuring pasta with a choice of Marinara and Meat Balls, Chicken and Alfredo Sauce, Pesto and Chicken, or a Vegetarian sauce. In addition to the theme bar, students may help themselves to the ever popular salad bar which has been offered daily for eleven years. A Baked Potato Bar and Taco Bar will be coming up next. Efficient use of USDA Foods help keep the costs in line.

Watch out Bugs Bunny! Amy Hedrick, the Director of Nutrition Services at Scotts Valley School District in Scotts Valley, CA , has found that her students eat more carrots when they leave the green tops on them. What a great handle!