Huntington's School Cafeterias are Healthier Places
With thousands of students purchasing breakfast and lunch each day in the seven Huntington School District cafeterias, efforts to provide healthier foods carry a powerful nutritional punch.
The transition to healthier menus required a period of adjustment for some students. "In the beginning it was not easy, because students didn't find the wheat products like pasta, bread and wraps, appealing," said Oscar M. Giraldo, Huntington's food service consultant from the Whitsons Culinary Group.
The district's food service program has most recently been serving 460 breakfasts and 2,300 lunches daily. The district has worked closely with Whitsons to transform its kitchens and menus over the past few years.
With the healthier choices firmly established, the mindsets of students have changed. "Everyone has a very positive attitude now," Mr. Giraldo said. "They do not miss the white starch product. Even the pizza dough is made out of whole wheat and no one can tell the difference either. Chocolate milk now has less than one percent fat in it, but the flavor is the same!"
The healthy eating initiative includes offering:
- Antibiotic and hormone free milk and chicken products.
- Breads and bread products that are 100 percent whole grain and which do not contain high fructose corn syrup.
- 100 percent all-natural yogurts with no artificial ingredients.
- Salad dressings that have no artificial ingredients or high fructose corn syrup.
- Taco shells and tortilla chips free of any hydrogenated oils.
"Snacks are another factor that we at Whitsons focus on," Mr. Giraldo said. "We get the healthiest variety. Our vending machines carry a large variety of drinks including Vitamin Water, as well."
For more information contact Mr. Giraldo at 673-2107 or giraldoo@whitsons.com.