Brandon schools – At $2 a meal, Brandon schools lunches are a bargain for a nutritionally balanced meal.
Yet less than half of the district’s 3,000 students purchase school lunches.
Suzanne Evenson, director of food services at Brandon schools said students who do chose the school entrees’ are getting top notch nutrition.
“We stick by the national standard chart with no options,” said Evenson.
“At Brandon we go by the traditional (USDA) food based planning.”
While students are piling potato smiles, chicken sticks, or taco salad on their plate, more than 33 food service workers are making sure each item balances caloric intake, saturated fats, protein, calcium, and vitamin requirements for their daily meal.
“Our main concern is to serve nutritionally balanced foods to the children,” said Evenson.
“We are a Team Nutrition district and a part of the National School Lunch Program.”
With more than 1,600 mouths to feed, daily, Evenson said serving what the students want to eat, and making sure nutritional requirements are met is not an easy task. Which is why the lunch program offers a la carte items to grades five through 12.
“The hardest group to feed is the intermediates,” Evenson chuckles, “they are very picky at that level so we offer ‘a la carte’ items with more diversity for them.”
All items offered to the students whether ala cart or a package meal meets the required food component groups of dairy, meat or meat alternate, fruit, vegetable, and grain.
Veggies are tough for middle school students so as a nutritional alternative the students are offered salads.
“We’re trying as hard as we can to serve what the kids will eat, something nutritious into these learning bodies,”said Evenson.
Evenson said more than 15 percent of the student population takes advantage of the free and reduced breakfast and lunch program.
Food allergies are another challenge to Evenson and her staff. The biggest intolerances are eggs, dairy, wheat, and penut butter.
As a precaution and child safety, peanut butter is not used within the school menus because the protein substitute is one of the most widespread allergens, according to Evenson.
“There are some severely allergic students in the district and we keep in close contact with the parents because the kids like to buy hot lunches.”
For a number of reasons, many parents pack their children’s lunches. While Evenson would like to see the students eat the school’s nutritionally balanced meals, she recommends parents pack foods that will follow the four basic food groups.
Evenson requests parents watch the caloric, sodium, and fat intake.
Similar to the “Drug Free Zone” signs posted on school grounds, the absence of vending machines, with the exception of a juice/water dispenser is a symbol of non-nutritional intolerance by Team Nutrition.
“We do not allow non nutrition items such as hard candy, gum, and soda in the district,” said Evenson.“We try to educate the kids and get them interested in nutrition with posters, tee shirts, book- marks along with the teachers’ work in class.”
While balanced meals are at the top of her list of student health, Evenson said her second priority is that the students find the cafeteria a place to be happy.
“They need it to get a break in the curriculum so they can go back and learn some more,” said Evenson.
“I want the lunch room to be happy,” she continued. “It’s their social, and nutritional time they need and this is it.”