With several new federal and state regulations having been imposed in the past two years, and the prospect of even more regulations to come, the Tam District’s Student Nutrition Services is grappling with providing a healthy cafeteria menu for students while still keeping costs affordable.
Henry London, the new director of Student Nutrition Services, said that the food services department, which serves the whole district, has been faced with recent legislation that has placed stringent nutritional guidelines on lunch and breakfast items, and will face even more restrictions on the á la carte menu next fall.
The implementation of new sodium targets and the Senate bill dubbed “Smart Snacks in Schools” will bring major changes to the current snacks offered both in the cafeteria and in vending machines, and the district will likely be forced to discontinue many of the current á la carte items due to increased regulations. They will also be forced to remove Gatorade, which violates the new nutritional standards for beverages in schools.
Major changes have been made this year to the breakfast menu, including an increase in price from $2.50 to $2.75, and that students are now required to take one cup of fruit and a juice with their breakfast meal. Previously, students were only required to take either milk, fruit, or juice.
London brought changes of his own that include providing pre-baked cookies from a new vendor instead of the ones last year that were baked in the kitchen. Bagels are also no longer provided at lunch.
Although many of the items last year were whole grain, this year’s federal regulations require that all items be whole grain. Currently, the only item that is out of compliance is the bagel.
“We have to find new suppliers that offer á la carte products that meet the requirements,” London said.
However, according to London, finding vendors that offer low enough prices for students is no easy feat.
Even with the Student Nutrition Services’ efforts to find products with reasonable prices, some students are still unhappy with the price.
“The price is unreasonable,” junior Melissa Papuc said. “They force me to pay $3 for fruit and juice that I don’t want. All I want is the bagel.”
However, some students don’t mind the current prices. Junior Brianna Frierson said she thought that the food was worth the price.
“I think it’s reasonable because you can also get vegetables, fruit, and juice,” she said.
Although the “healthiness” of the food doesn’t affect what he orders, junior Devon Thomas said he thinks that in general, the food is pretty nutritious, but overpriced.
Some students think that the changes have decreased the quality and taste of some of the items in the menu.
“It tastes like cardboard now since they tried to make it healthier,” senior Arianna Mahallati said.
In order to address student concerns such as these, Student Nutrition Services has been surveying students for feedback to better their programs.
Despite some complaints, the number of student purchases of meals has increased, according to Becki Lamet, the manager of the Redwood Café. Although it varies each day, the cafeteria serves nearly 200 breakfasts and 250 to 300 lunches daily.
