note that students’ lunches are frequently
homemade and include fresh seasonal
produce and international as well as traditional
students’ garden was planted. “We hope to
have lettuce, tomatoes and green peppers EDIBLE LESSONS
62 South Bay Accent
American cuisine. Additionally,
students and their parents request that
school food-service programs reflect diverse,
eclectic palates. There is strong
interest in menu variety, minimally processed
foods and quality ingredients.
In response, teachers are integrating
gardens, food-related field trips or
science projects into classroom curriculums.
They encourage students to
carefully analyze product labels, food
pyramids and advertisements to bolster
their nutrition awareness. Extracurricular,
after-school and summer camp programs
offer immersive, fun, hands-on
opportunities in which students cook,
garden, learn about and practice healthy
eating. Outreach and community service
initiatives that address “food deserts”
in underserved communities reflect an expanding
range of activities. But, as might be expected, there
are obstacles to overcome. One is cost. Food service
providers that offer the healthiest menus are more
expensive. Another is the basic student appetite. It
veers toward pepperoni pizza, which is still the favorite
lunch item, school personnel report, no matter
how much healthier other options might be.
These issues provide the balance beam upon which
school principals, CEOs and dining hall managers
must navigate with care when designing menus.
The schools included in this overview are all in
early planning stages of programs that have students participating
in school or community gardens or local, national or international
initiatives to combat hunger. Even so, there are pronounced differences
in their approach.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
At Merryhill School, Principal Karen Cooper says environmental
awareness, diverse cuisine, pricing and online ordering were
priorities in selecting Choicelunch. Parents can order from the
nut-free menu using an iPhone app that
includes an allergen filter. Bins of fresh
fruits and vegetables invite students to
make gently guided choices. “The lunch
program has to satisfy everyone, from vegetarians
to those kids who won’t even look
at a piece of fruit,” says Cooper. A cycle
of new menu items and even peer pressure
serve as boons to healthy eating, she
adds. “Children who see other children
devouring yogurt parfaits, baked samosas
or chicken that they wouldn’t eat at home
begin to choose those foods.”
In the classroom, Merryhill’s 160 students
participate in country and cultural
studies that culminate in Passport Night.
Students and their parents prepare dishes
from a spotlighted country at home and
meet up to share them during the multicultural
potluck. In 2017, the third-grade
Third-grade
students tend
the garden
at Merryhill
School.
Third-grade students at
Delphi Academy enjoy a
Thanksgiving meal using
recipes from the times of
the pilgrims. Students each
prepared a dish to share.
FROM TOP: COURTESY OF DELPHI ACADEMY; COURTESY OF MERRYHILL SCHOOL; OPPOSITE: JOHN MEYER