Take a Fresh Look at School Meals for National School Lunch Week

At the start of this new school year, students across the district and beyond were once again faced with a familiar question: home lunch or school lunch? For many of our youngest learners and their families, school lunch can feel like a bit of a mystery — until they actually see what’s being served.

What used to be seen as a menu of predictable favorites has evolved into a lineup of freshly prepared meals like Indian butter chicken with cilantro lime rice, burrito bowls, hot honey chicken over smoky barbecue rice and vegetarian sloppy joes made with clean-label plant-based crumbles. Students can also enjoy a self-serve garden bar stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, and many are discovering new foods they love. 

Those options, and those reactions, are becoming more common across MMSD cafeterias. Today’s school lunches balance nutrition and variety with flavor and fun, offering multiple entrée choices, always including a vegetarian option, and a rotating self-serve garden bar filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Food Services teams also work to provide fresh produce from local farms and partner organizations — this week, all elementary and middle schools enjoyed Cortland and McIntosh apples from Fleming Orchard in Gays Mills, Wis.

Last year, MMSD served more than 1.5 million meals to students.

From Oct. 12–16, MMSD is celebrating National School Lunch Week, an annual tradition started by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to highlight the importance of healthy school meals. It’s a great time to learn more about what’s on the menu and to join your child in the cafeteria to see it firsthand.

Across the district, 19 elementary schools offer free breakfast and lunch to every student, and families at other schools can purchase a balanced meal at minimal cost. During the summer, the Food and Nutrition team also provides meals at school and community sites.

Each plate includes grains, protein, fruits, vegetables and milk and is built to meet the nation’s highest nutrition standards. Behind the scenes, MMSD’s Food and Nutrition team is working to make meals even fresher and more appealing.

The district’s central kitchen is led by a team of skilled chefs and cooks who prepare many of the entrées from scratch. MMSD’s registered dietitian plans menus that feature both student favorites and healthy recipes, such as low-sugar whole-grain muffins baked right in the district’s own bakery.

“Our goal is to create meals that nourish students and reflect the values of our community,” MMSD Director of Food and Nutrition Joshua Perkins said. “We’ve been listening closely to families, and we’re excited to keep expanding our scratch-made options and bringing more fresh, local ingredients into our schools.”

Trying school lunch, even a few times a month, can make a difference for students and for the district. Every meal purchased helps sustain and improve the program, funding new recipes, equipment and training. Families who participate help build the momentum that keeps positive change going.

The school cafeteria is for everyone. This National School Lunch Week, we invite you to celebrate with us and discover how school meals nourish minds, fuel learning and bring our community together.