On December 9, 2016, approximately 200 Broward County Public School students participated in the School District’s Food and Nutrition Services Annual Food Show at Pompano Beach High School.
About 100 students from Riverland Elementary School and 100 students from Crystal Lake Middle School sampled as many as 25 potential new cafeteria menu items, including gluten free, vegan and vegetarian choices. They shared their feedback on iPads located at each food station, rating each item from “awesome” to “gross.” The most popular items will be added to the cafeteria menu for the next school year, said Darlene Moppert, MS, RD, program manager and licensed nutritionist with the BCPS Food & Nutrition Services.
The students were also treated to a cooking demonstration by Celebrity Chef Rudy Poindexter of the Food Network’s “Chopped” fame, who showed them how to make his Santa Fe Chicken Salad with Avocado Ranch dressing that is not only healthy and nutritious but also delicious and easy to prepare.
Additional items sampled included Corkscrew Pasta with a Twist (Cajun seasoning), Roasted Butternut Squash, Pork Street Tacos, Chicken and Dumplings, Grilled Monte Cristo French Toast Sandwich, Sriracha Chicken Salad Wrap, Edamame Blend, Rainbow Trout Melt, Pizza Crunchers and Cheesy Chicken Flatbread.
The votes are being tabulated and the new cafeteria menu items for next year will be released later this month.
The USDA regulates what is served in schools, mandating the offering of appropriate servings of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and high quality proteins. Vendors provide the latest new products and BCPS registered dietitians review the nutritional stats for the products and new recipes. Most importantly, students provide feedback about what like they really want to eat.
Broward County Schools Food and Nutrition Services encourages students to “Power Up!” with healthy and nutritious meals during the school day. The Broward County School District alone serves nearly 150,000 school lunches every day.
ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has over 271,000 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 236 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 101 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 208 different countries and 181 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, anddownload the free BCPS mobile app.
