- I heard the new food this year is “healthier.” What does that mean exactly?
- Why are there no longer as many a la carte options?
- Why did you take away the chocolate milk?
- How big are the portion sizes?
- What foods served this year are organic?
- Why are we serving organic milk and what does it cost?
- Is the school food ever locally grown?
- Where does the meat come from?
- Are the kids really eating this stuff?
- How are you receiving feedback from the students on the new meals?
- Is there anywhere I can see allergen and nutrition information for the meals served in school?
- How do I apply for free or reduced-price meals? What are the requirements for free or reduced meal cost status?
- Where are there school gardens in the district? Who runs this program?
- Where did the red bracelets come from?
- Who paid for the calendars?
- Why does the staff wear uniforms?
- Why is the district pushing these food program changes when the budget is in crisis, school programs might be cut, and teachers could be taken out of classrooms?
- Where is the extra money coming from for this program?
- What is the School Food Project?
- How can I get involved?
- Who is “Ann Cooper”?
- To whom can I send compliments and complaints?
- Do you serve breakfast?
- What’s on the breakfast menu?
- Is breakfast only for free or reduced-status students?
- What is universal breakfast?
- I heard the new food this year is “healthier.” What does that mean exactly?
We changed all of our ingredients, recipes, and menus to improve the quality of the food we serve to our students. Highly-processed foods such as chicken nuggets are gone. We eliminated chocolate milk, which decreases the amount of added sugar available for children to ingest in school. Every school cafeteria in the district now has a salad bar, which always has animal and vegetable proteins available on it as well as an assortment of fresh vegetables and fruits. Foods containing high fructose corn syrup, added trans-fats, and added colorings/preservatives have been removed from the menu. Our bread, buns, and rolls are whole grain products locally made by Rudi’s Organic. The 1% bulk milk served at lunch is organic, Colorado milk, and the 1% container milk served for afterschool snacks and breakfast in the classroom is hormone and antibiotic-free.
- Why are there no longer as many a la carte options?
A la carte options take away from the primary mission of the National School Lunch Program – to feed a healthy, balanced, complete meal to any and all students who eat at school. A la carte items tie up time, money, and labor resources in the planning, purchasing, storing, and inventorying of food items that do not contribute to this mission. Department resources must be utilized effectively and efficiently to concentrate on the primary mission at hand: transitioning to scratch-cooked, high-quality food that kids will love to eat.
- Why did you take away the chocolate milk?
Chocolate milk has added sugars that kids do not need in their daily diet. An 8-oz glass of white milk contains about 12 grams of natural milk sugar (lactose). Depending on the brand, 8 ounces of chocolate milk contains 25-30 grams of sugar, which translates into 13-18 grams, or 3 to 5 teaspoons, of added sugar. This means children choosing chocolate milk for lunch on a daily basis, with all other things being equal, could potentially consume an extra 11-19 cups of sugar in a 180-day school year. This translates into a weight gain of 2 to 5 pounds just from the added sugar in chocolate milk consumed at lunch in school.
- How big are the portion sizes?
The entree portion sizes meet or exceed minimum government standards for 2 oz of meat/meat alternate protein and 1 oz grain. Portion sizes vary depending on the entrée and whether it is an elementary/secondary school. Pizza portion is one slice, 8 cut 14”/16”; chicken portion is 6 oz/8 oz by weight bone- in; burgers are 3 oz/4 oz on a 2.2 oz bun; hotdogs are 2 oz; pasta is 4 oz/8 oz by weight; Mexican day varies. Salad bar is always available, and students who purchase a meal can come back for more milk, fruit and salad bar – there are no restrictions other than to “take what you want, eat what you take.” Second entrees can be purchased for $1.50/$2.00 with the purchase of a full meal.
- What foods served this year are organic?
The bulk milk, bread products, spring mix, apples, tangerines, and some of our cereals are certified organic. We have worked very hard to transition all of our products to more natural, simpler, “clean” ingredient labels void of additives, colorings, and preservatives.
- Why are we serving organic milk and what does it cost?
The organic milk is actually less expensive per serving than regular milk in individual cartons and plastic containers. Using organic milk helps support the organic industry and all the positive environmental and sustainable practices that they utilize in their business model.
- Is the school food ever locally grown?
Whenever possible, we purchase foods that are locally grown and produced. Our pizza, burritos, and bread are made by local Colorado companies. Throughout the 2009-10 school year we have featured fresh apples grown on the western slope of Colorado by small, independent farms. Our milk is from Colorado cows. We purchased oranges from a small grower in Texas – closer to Colorado than Florida! We also bought potatoes from a Boulder County farmer in the fall.
As BVSD’s Interim Director of Nutrition Services Ann Cooper once described it, envision our ability to purchase locally-grown produce as a circle around the Boulder Valley that expands and contracts with the seasons. As local items become available in the bountiful fall months, the circle will shrink. As winter and spring set in, our purchasing circle needs to widen a bit to get all of the products we need.
- Where does the meat come from?
Some of our chicken and beef items are commodity products from the USDA, while other chicken and meat items are purchased through our food purveyor, US Foods. There is simply no way we can afford to make the types of menu changes we have made, with the money available through meal sales and reimbursements, without utilizing the government commodity program. However, it should be noted that we purchase the cleanest, least-processed forms of these foods available, whether we get them through the government or on the open market.
- Are the kids really eating this stuff?
Yes! We didn’t radically change the offerings on the menu; we just improved the quality of the ingredients. The kids still have pizza, burgers, pasta, and nachos – retooled to take out the less nutritious ingredients – e.g. we replaced canned cheese sauce with real cheese on the nachos. The biggest change that kids seem to be having trouble adjusting to is that BVSD lunches no longer include chicken nuggets – instead, we serve real roasted, 8-cut chicken pieces. People often resist change at first, but this is a positive change. We are helping to teach an entire generation of kids that chicken comes on a bone, not in a nugget!
- How are you receiving feedback from the students on the new meals?
Student surveys were sent to all middle and high school students in January. Ann Cooper gets feedback via email regularly from students and their parents. We have approximately 30 interns and volunteers doing taste testings during lunch to get direct student feedback and ascertain student preferences. From this feedback we have changed numerous recipes and menu items in an effort to serve healthy food that the students will enjoy.
- Is there anywhere I can see allergen and nutrition information for the meals served in school?
Allergen and nutrition information is posted on the BVSD website, on the Nutrition Services home page. The direct link to the NS home page is http://bvsd.org/food/Pages/default.aspx; the PDF files are listed under “Menu Item Nutrients and Food Allergens” on the left hand side.
- How do I apply for free or reduced-price meals? What are the requirements for free or reduced meal cost status?
Applications for free/reduced-price meals are available at individual school offices, school cafeterias, and at the Nutrition Services office at the BVSD Education Center, 6500 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. More detailed information about the program, including income eligibility requirements, is posted on the NS home page at http://bvsd.org/food/Pages/default.aspx under “Free or Reduced-Price Meals.”
- Where are there school gardens in the district? Who runs this program?
This spring 2010 there will be gardens at the following elementary schools: Bear Creek, Community Montessori, BCSIS, Creekside, Crestview, Fireside, Flatirons, Foothill, Lafayette, Mesa and University Hill. Over the summer, bond construction will impact the gardens at Bear Creek, Creekside and Mesa. In fall 2010, a garden will be added at Whittier International, and the schools affected by bond construction will be brought back on board.
The Garden to Table program is managed by the Growe Foundation in collaboration with parent volunteers at the schools. For more information, please email bryce@growefoundation.org. Dedicated websites for the Garden to Table programs are currently under construction and should be up soon.
- Where did the red bracelets come from?
Ann Cooper’s non-profit Food Family Farming Foundation held a contest to come up with the best five-word tag line for its website, www.thelunchbox.org. This website, currently in beta development, will be a go-to resource for any school district across the nation to get information on making positive changes to their school food program. The winning slogan says it all: “I matter. Feed me well.” This tagline was printed on the bracelets, paid for by the foundation. We are giving the bracelets out to elementary students as a reward for positive behaviors such as taking at least two items off the salad bar.
- Who paid for the calendars?
The calendars were generously paid for by evol Burrito, formerly Phil’s Fresh, a local company with whom the district has had a working relationship for nearly three years. The artwork was donated to Ann by the artist.
- Why does the staff wear uniforms?
Uniforms prevent your street clothes from being ruined. They also elevate the “lunch lady” to a respectable and professional status in the schools. Kids nowadays are exposed to cooking and chef shows on cable TV and they think chefs and cooks are pretty cool. We do, too.
- Why is the district pushing these food program changes when the budget is in crisis, school programs might be cut, and teachers could be taken out of classrooms?
The Nutrition Services department operates as an enterprise fund, which means it does not get money directly from the school district general fund. The department’s revenue stream comes from the sale of school meals and government reimbursements for every free, reduced, and full-pay meal we sell. We also receive a commodity food allocation based on the number of meals we sell. This is why it is so important to increase our meal participation in order to make the program sustainable.
- Where is the extra money coming from for this program?
Money was raised by the School Food Project to cover the initial cost of employee training and some equipment purchases. We have written several grants for other expenses. The goal is to create a sustainable system, through efficiencies of scale, tightening inventory, and standardizing operations, so that the program will pay for itself within three to five years.
- What is the School Food Project?
The School Food Project (SFP) is a fundraising partnership comprised of district employees, community members, and corporate sponsors. Their vision is that all children of Boulder Valley School District will have daily access to fresh, flavorful and nutritious food made with wholesome and, when possible, local ingredients, so that every child may thrive. The SFP is raising money to invest in employee training and kitchen equipment to help in the transition from processed food to scratch cooking.
- How can I get involved?
There are several ways you can help. Come join us at the Boulder Theater where the SFP sponsors a fundraiser film series. Contact our intern coordinator and help do taste testings in the school cafeterias. Volunteer at your child’s school in the lunchroom to help kids make good choices at the salad bar. Whatever your expertise and background, we can probably find something for you to help us with. We are always thrilled to get community and parent volunteers, and we look forward to hearing from you. Please email vicky.huff@bvsd.org and we will get back to you with a list of our current volunteer opportunities.
- Who is “Ann Cooper”?
Often referred to as the “Renegade Lunch Lady,” Chef Ann Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. In a nation where children are born with shorter estimated life expectancies than their parents because of diet-related illness, Ann is a relentless voice of reform by focusing on the links between food, family, farming, and children’s health and wellness. Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY, Ann has been a chef for more than 30 years including positions with Holland America Cruises, Radisson Hotels, and Telluride Ski Resort, as well as serving as Executive Chef at the Putney Inn in Vermont. She has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, Newsweek , and Time Magazine and has appeared on NPR’s ‘Living on Earth,’ ABC’s Nightline, CNN, PBS’ To The Contrary, the CBS Morning Show, and many other media outlets. Ann has shared her knowledge and experience by speaking at the Smithsonian Institute, the National Restaurant Association, the Heifer Foundation, Chefs Collaborative, the International Association of Culinary Professionals and numerous conferences. She has been honored by SLOW Food USA, selected as a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow, and awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY Cobleskill for her work on sustainable agriculture.
Ann is the author of four books: Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children (2006), In Mother’s Kitchen: Celebrated Women Chefs Share Beloved Family Recipes (2005), Bitter Harvest: A Chef’s Perspective on the Hidden Dangers in the Foods We Eat and What You Can do About It (2000) and A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen: The Evolution of Women Chefs (1998). She is past president of The American Culinary Federation of Central Vermont, and past president and board member of Women's Chefs and Restaurateurs. She also served on the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board, a Congressional appointment, and was an Executive Committee member of Chefs Collaborative - all in an effort to raise awareness about the value of healthful, seasonal, organic, and regional foods.
Ann’s research for and writing of Bitter Harvest provided a true epiphany for this always curious and proactive chef. No longer could the environmental and health facts be ignored when it came to producing food in this country. Ms. Cooper’s career shifted from primarily cooking to a path of cooking, writing, and public speaking – all advocacy work for a healthier food system. There is no doubt that Ann is an accomplished chef, however, her focus is now on using her skills and background to create a sustainable model for schools nationwide to transition any processed food based K-12 school meal program to a whole foods environment where food is procured regionally and prepared from scratch. In 2009, Ann founded Food Family Farming Foundation (F3) as a nonprofit focusing on solutions to the school food crisis. F3's pivotal project is The Lunch Box - a web portal that provides free and accessible tools, recipes and community connections to support school food reform.
Chef Ann is happily doing the work of three as a Chef, Nutrition Services Director, Consultant, Author, Public Speaker, and Advocate because she sees a need for change and has the gifts to help. She envisions a time soon when being a chef working to feed children fresh, delicious, and nourishing food will no longer be considered “renegade.”
- To whom can I send compliments and complaints?
Interim Director Ann Cooper is happy to answer all emails that come her way – the good, the bad, and the ugly; please feel free to contact her at ann.cooper@bvsd.org with your feedback.
- Do you serve breakfast?
Yes! Breakfast is now served in every elementary, middle and high school in the district.
- What’s on the breakfast menu?
Breakfast choices available daily include a bread/grain choice (muffin, bagel or cereal) and/or a protein food (cheese, yogurt), plus fresh fruit and milk. Please check with your school cafeteria on breakfast serving time – it typically runs for about 15 minutes before the first bell.
- Is breakfast only for free or reduced-status students?
No! Breakfast is available to every single student who wants it. Breakfast costs $1.50 for full-pay students, and it is completely FREE for both free-status AND reduced-status students (thanks to the Colorado Legislature, which currently helps defray the cost for reduced students).
- What is universal breakfast?
Universal breakfast is FREE breakfast for ALL students in a particular school, no matter what their meal status. Studies have shown that students who eat breakfast have better concentration, are more focused, have fewer disciplinary issues, and are less likely to go to the nurse’s office than students who do not eat breakfast. Breakfast helps the whole student – body, mind and spirit. Universal breakfast is currently available only in higher-need schools… but if Chef Ann ruled the world, we’d serve all kids in America a free breakfast!
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