Today I ran to Kroger to pick up our curbside delivery order. We normally use a commercial food vendor, but given challenges with reduced enrollment due to COVID and item quantity minimums (especially produce), we have been using leveraging curbside pickup.
I wish you could have seen the order that literally filled up my Ford Expedition today. As I checked off items on the receipt as we were stocking the pantry, it reinforced how proud I am of the food we serve your children. Yes, given the financial strain we are under right now due to COVID, it is definitely tempting to save money with the food vendors and go to canned fruits and vegetables, processed food, chicken nuggets, etc., but it just goes against what we believe in. It occurred to me that we do not do an adequate job emphasizing the quality of the food we prepare compared to many other schools, so here’s a quick rundown:
(This is what our refrigerator typically looks like.)
| Instead Of….. | We serve… |
| Processed chicken of chicken nuggets thrown on a plate with ketchup | Skinless boneless chicken breast meat, just like you buy at Kroger or Publix, which we season and bake same-day. We then dice it up to prepare BBQ chicken, casseroles, pasta dishes, etc. |
| “Mystery meat” | Lowfat ground turkey, which we season and brown on the stove and then use to make tacos, sloppy joes, or similar menu items. |
| Cheese “product” | Actual cheddar or mozzarella, sliced or shredded, depending on the that days menu |
| Sides such as tater tots, fries, fried mozzarella sticks, etc. | Fresh fruit like blueberries and strawberries, apple slices, oranges, etc. We do serve canned pineapple because the kids love it and I don’t want anyone to cut off their finger. |
| Cookies | Nutri Grain or cereal bars, mozzarella sticks, celery sticks, graham crackers, pita chips, pretzels, goldfish crackers. |
| Prepared food loaded in sodium, food dyes, and preservatives | Scrambled eggs (like from a shell), pancakes, baked biscuits, fettuccine alfredo (made here with baked chicken and not from a frozen carton) |
Today we served fettuccine alfredo prepared from boneless breast, skinless chicken seasoned with salt and pepper and baked on site, mixed with boiled pasta, alfredo sauce, and Italian seasoning.
This one is always a hit with all ages!