Local schools serve hot breakfasts and lunches

September 16, 2009

By Brenda Rader Mross

The Wellington

 

Public school lunch programs have come a long way since “Ketchupgate.”

Twenty-eight years since the Reagan Administration wanted to reclassify the condiments ketchup and pickle relish as vegetables, parents today are able to go online and check out the nutritional information for each and every menu item served in Poudre School District’s lunchrooms.

Visit www.PoudreSchools.org and click on lunch menus.

For example, parents will find that the popular chicken patty sandwich contains 290 calories, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 470 mg of sodium, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 1.79 g of iron, 39.99 mg of calcium, no vitamin A or C, 12 g of protein, 14.99 g of carbohydrates, 19.99 g of total fat and 4.49 g of saturated fat.

“We’re working hard to stress nutrition and meet and exceed the federal program’s minimal nutritional guidelines,” said Craig Schneider, PSD director of food services. “Some people will call asking for low-fat, low-calorie options but that’s a different issue. These are growing kids who need nutrients. Obesity rates are a problem. It’s about balancing nutrition and physical activity.”

PSD operates under the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program, which began in 1964 to safeguard the health and well-being of public school children. The district employs more than 175 full- and part-time workers to prepare, deliver and serve 1.8 million lunches annually.

This year paying for all those lunches is easier thanks to a new online feature. SchoolPaymentSolutions.com lets parents make credit card payments to their children’s meal accounts. The system not only allows parents to check account balances, but also to see precisely what they’re paying for.

“It’s been very successful,” Schneider said. “We’ve already done over $30,000 online. That amounts to a lot of time saved for staff and families.”

Schneider reported his office has received “a ton of phone calls with positive feedback” regarding both free online services.

Schneider, whose own personal preference in district lunchrooms is turkey gravy, cites chicken patties and nuggets, along with pizza, as students’ favorites overall. He complimented district food service personnel — especially those in Wellington — for taking family connections to the next level.

“Teachers may see students for one class, but our food service people visit with every student, every day,” Schneider said. “Out there (in Wellington), it’s even closer. Our employees see people around town. They are an integral part of a student’s day.”

For the record, Schneider said PSD doesn’t employ only “lunch ladies;” there are currently four “lunch guys” on the payroll.

Rhonda Niccoli, kitchen manager at Rice Elementary, said she’s been told she doesn’t look like a lunch lady, but doesn’t mind the clichÈ one bit.

“This is an active job; we’re on our feet sometimes six or more hours a day,” Niccoli said. “It’s so fun! In fact, I thanked food service for the opportunity. I told them I’m so spoiled to be in this environment.”

Niccoli is referring to opening up Rice’s kitchen two years ago. By the sheen of the metal appliances, Niccoli and her staff, Judy Davis and Kathy Wilson, have kept up appearances: things still look brand new.

“I’m in seventh heaven,” exclaimed Niccoli, who is in her 10th year with PSD food service. “I never cooked for the masses before, but I enjoy it.”

The best part of the job, according to Niccoli, is the 200-plus kids.

“It’s heartbreaking when I don’t have enough of what they want,” she said.

Rice favorites include the usual chicken nuggets, chicken patties, and macaroni and cheese, but Niccoli said students also love creamed turkey with potatoes. She likes making cheeseburger pockets the most because she likes to “play with dough.”

Across town, Mahala McDaniel is starting her 29th year in the kitchen at Eyestone Elementary. She became manager there 27 years ago and intends to retire after next year.

The biggest change she’s seen is in the convenience factor — more prepackaged and frozen foods nowadays equals less “real” cooking.

The days can be long — 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. — but she still loves to cook. She agreed Eyestone student food preferences follow district trends, but then her favorites — lasagna from scratch, chicken and beef fajitas and enchilada casserole — are no longer offered.

Food ordering is done three weeks in advance, with deliveries coming in on Mondays, a task made easier this year with a new walk-in freezer.

“I know this kitchen better than my own,” McDaniel stated. “I’ve been cooking since I was 7 years old. My mom and dad worked.”

McDaniel and crew Eileen Holm, Louise Babcoke and Judy Cortez do double duty since Wellington Middle School’s meals are prepared at Eyestone, then transported across the street. McDaniel estimates they serve about 325 elementary students daily and up to 240 middle-schoolers.

It astonishes McDaniel just how many kids recognize her “out and about” with exclamations along the lines of “Mom! It’s our lunch lady!” She said she does often feel like a “stand-in for Mom.”

They may not cook at WMS but things are always cooking, as is evidenced by the sweat on the collective brows of Rhonda Robinson (lead), Tonya Brinkhoff, Teri Triplett and Waltraud Salazar.

Wellington Middle School lunches offer more alternatives and at $2.25 cost an additional quarter. Adults may lunch at any school for $3.

A typical elementary school menu has at least a couple of entrÈes: One lunch featured chicken patty sandwich, raviolis, turkey and cheese deli, with potato wedges. On the same day, middle school featured chicken quesadilla, meatball deli, spicy chicken patty, chicken Caesar salad, cheese or pepperoni pizza, taco salad and green beans. In addition, all student diners have access to fresh vegetables, assorted fruits and milk.

Breakfast costs $1 for students and is served daily at all three schools.

Income-qualifying students receive reduced-cost and free meals. Applications are available at each school’s office.

Vending machines are available to students only at the middle school level and are stocked with a “healthier” array, all of which contain less than 35 percent sugar, such as granola bars and fruit snacks. Water and juice are the only beverages sold.