The Nutrition Department sent out a newsletter to all district students advertising the opportunity and asking for family or kid favorites, specifically salads, entrees or side dishes. According to the Supervisor of School Nutrition, Kathleen Milbrath, the lunchroom is looking forward to including new international and ethnic dishes.
The Department also asks that recipes include ingredients that are relatively cheap and widely available, and that the recipes be simple enough to be made in a home kitchen.
The process of accepting a home recipe may be long and tedious. In addition to the requirements by the Department of School Nutrition at Park, recipes must be checked to see if they meet lengthy national health requirements, as called for by the nutrition office at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Families looking to find these guidelines may go to the USDA website, at www.fns.usda.gov.
Milbrath said she hopes to change school lunches for the better by making fewer processed foods.
“This is just another approach for our department as we continue to look at ‘from scratch’ cooking,” Milbrath said.
However, not all students think the lunchroom change will be a good one. Junior Bessie Bulman said she predicts students will stick with their favorites and not go for change.
“What a majority of students like are popular lunches, like spaghetti or pizza,” Bulman said. “With family recipes you could get some pretty weird stuff that a very small percentage of the student population would enjoy.”
Milbrath disagrees and said that allowing recipe submissions to the lunchroom will boost interest in the cafeteria from families.
“What students have at home and recipes made by their family will be a great addition to the options we offer,” Milbrath said.
Sophomore Gabe Pimsler said he is thankful for the opportunity being offered by the cafeteria, but also does not think many students will take advantage of it.
“I think it’s a good idea because it gives students a say in lunch food,” Pimsler said.
“But I don’t think many people will submit (recipes) because kids are worried with everything else, like sports and school.”
Milbrath said that after the process of taste-testing, checking kitchen equipment and deciding whether the recipe meet the various parameters, only then should the students expect to see family recipes on the menu a couple months later.
Milbrath and the Nutrition Department ask that all recipes for 2012-2013 school year be submitted by Sept. 19. Milbrath also points out that the cafeteria is trying to listen to students and provide for their needs.
“We are always looking for ways to support students,” Milbrath said.
