Healthier lunches now in cafeterias
April 2, 2008
By Laura Geggel
Menus and cafeterias around the Snoqualmie Valley School District are getting a makeover after the school board updated the Wellness Policy this past school year.
Deep-fried potato wedges are out and baked jojo’s are in. Deep-fried taco-salad shells have vanished and wholegrain hamburger buns and corn dogs made of turkey have emerged.
Students across the district are seeing new menu sections and noticing a few deletions – although the absence of foods deep fried in trans-fats may be welcome news for the health-conscious.
A few students questioned the removal of deep-fried foods, especially French fries, said Pat Reilly, food service director for the district. But the majority have accepted the changes.
Now, lunch workers prepare baked French fries and potato wedges. Reilly said the high school cafeteria experienced a 10 percent increase in participation this past year, even though the high-school population only increased four percent.
The logistics of serving speed were a minor setback, causing food services to add an extra double-stacked oven to keep up with student demand for baked products.
Reilly replaced the fryers with a stove for Asian Nation – a new stir-fry station. Students can now buy noodle and rice bowls with different toppings like orange chicken or teriyaki skewers.
“It was a huge hit with the kids and the staff,” said Reilly. “I think the principal ate there for two weeks in a row before he finally had to go back on his non-carb diet.”
“We’re constantly working on new sauces,” said Ron Willmorth, a Mount Si High School lunch worker with a culinary arts degree. “We have sweet and sour, teriyaki and orange chicken.”
Willmorth hopes to include a General Tsao’s sauce next year.
“We’re in high school, we have to tame the spices,” Willmorth said, estimating that he serves about 100 students per day.
Reilly plans to experiment more with Asian Nation next year. Pho, a popular Vietnamese soup, may be added as a regular soupe du jour.
The lunchrooms at Snoqualmie Middle School and Cascade View Elementary have transformed alongside their menus. Chartwells, the district’s food-service provider, invested about $80,000 in the Snoqualmie Valley School District for a pilot program called Environments.
“It’s a combination of menu, marketing and service style,” said Reilly. “The kids would walk up to a service window before. Now we have serving food carts that are arranged in a buffet-type style out in the commons.”
Reilly chose Snoqualmie Middle School over Chief Kanim Middle School because they had higher lunchtime participation and a smaller kitchen.
“Feedback has been fantastic,” Reilly said. “We had an increase of participation of about 20 percent.”
Additions to the menu at Snoqualmie Middle School include sweet potato fries, grits, and various ethnic salads. A bowl station allows students to top pasta or potatoes with sauces, meats and vegetables. There is also a take-away station with ready-made sandwiches for students who do not want to wait in the hot food line.
“We’re cooking a lot more food to give these kids more options,” said Tisha Walters, a cook at Snoqualmie Middle School. The students must like the food, she said, because some come back for seconds.
Tom Evans, a seventh grader at Snoqualmie Middle School, ate his lunch of fried chicken with mashed potatoes and a side dish of apple slices on Monday.
“This year, there are a lot more options,” said Evans. “(The lunch line) is a lot easier because last year, unless you got there first, you didn’t get what you wanted.”
His classmate, Kirstin King, said she also liked the changes.
“They have pizza everyday, and everybody likes pizza,” King said as she snacked on her chicken quesadilla.
Black trays have replaced Styrofoam to reduce costs. The Environments pilot program even supplied money for a new cafeteria color scheme.
“(The colors are) supposed to calm down the space and create a more soothing environment to be in,” Reilly said.
Cascade View Elementary underwent a mini-Environments pilot program, including a few menu and décor changes.
School board member Kristy Sullivan applauded the healthy menu changes.
“We should be trying to make our food system here more sustainable with what we’re teaching kids with health and with environmental studies,” Sullivan said. “When they walk into the cafeteria, it should be supporting what they’re learning in the classroom.”
Reporter Laura Geggel can be reached at 392-6434 x221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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