Schools
School Menus Offer Healthier Choices
Meals made from scratch, whole grains and more fruits and vegetables have helped transform cafeteria choices in District 13 schools.
Over the last year, school lunch menus in Regional School District 13 have undergone a makeover as schools focus on healthier choices in cafeterias and vending machines.
While most of these changes were slowly integrated during the school year, they will continue next year as well. Coginchaug’s Cafeteria Manager, Jane Schmitt, shared with Patch what these menu adjustments are.
What students have noticed is that potato chips are now baked, instead of fried. Pop-tarts are made from whole grains and treats like ice cream are limited to four ounce servings. What students may not realize is that all snacks are now limited to just 200 calories.
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The lunch menu now boasts more fruits and vegetables, including mixed fruit cups of fresh berries, peaches, pears, melons and other varieties. New vegetables introduced to school lunches include broccoli, sweet peppers, snow peas, zucchini and squash. These healthy, whole foods - most of which are grown locally - are being incorporated into more homemade lunches, made from scratch.
Today’s school lunches aren’t what student’s parents remember when they waited in line for hot dogs, mashed potatoes and gravy or peanut butter and jelly. Students now feast on meals that include teriyaki chicken or beef, sweet-n-sour chicken, pasta primavera (chicken or steak), stuffed peppers, General Tso chicken and mandarin orange chicken with rice. Pre-made, frozen meals are no longer purchased by the schools, but rather menu items are made fresh by the cafeteria staff.
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Students also have the option of “made to order” salads which allow students to request salads made specifically to their liking or readymade salads.
Hot dogs - a favorite in school cafeterias for years - are now only served once a month, while beans are being served at least once a week. All dinner rolls are now made from whole grains.
The trade off to healthier food choices, is of course, cost. Next year students at Strong Middle School and Coginchaug Regional High School for a "Type A" lunch, an increase of .25 cents. Prices will remain the same at all other schools in the district.
