Huntington UFSD and its contracted food service provider, Whitsons continue to strive to operate a cafeteria program that provides tasty, nutritious and appealing breakfast and lunch choices for students on every grade level.
All eight school cafeterias are busy places. The cafeterias served a daily average of 544 breakfast meals and 2,352 lunches during December. Huntington High School was the busiest of all with a daily average of 112 breakfast meals and 531 lunches.
Woodhull Intermediate School’s cafeteria provided a daily average of 68 breakfast meals and 364 lunches. J. Taylor Finley Middle School served an average of 82 breakfasts and 345 lunches. Strong participation was also found at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School (65/294), Washington Primary School (40/220), Southdown Primary School (78/195), Jefferson Primary School (43/210) and Flower Hill Primary School (56/193).
“Whitsons has worked diligently to continuously improve upon what it provides, in an effort to craft monthly menus that both appeal to students and contribute to their healthier eating,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “Monthly promotions have added fun and nutritionally valuable elements to the district’s breakfast and lunch programs. Further, representative students at all levels have offered input during regularly scheduled Wellness Committee meetings. Their suggestions have been and will continue to be considered as discussions move forward.”
Whitsons said it likes keeping menus exciting via monthly and quarterly promotions. December’s promotions included:
- The Harvest of the Month was black beans, which were featured on all menus throughout the district.
- There was a “student appreciation” promotion on December 11 at Finley and the high school. Students were offered a slice of homemade peach cobbler with their lunch purchase.
- The monthly “Flaves” promotion was “Shanghai Noodles.” A General Tso’s Chicken noodle bowl was served on December 3.
- A “Mighty Milk” promotion held on December 4 at the elementary level.
- A “Lucky Tray promotion was held on December 11 at the elementary level.
- There was a “student appreciation” promotion on December 9 at the elementary level. All students who purchased lunch received a frozen “paradise punch slush” that included 100 percent fruit juice.
- On December 10, elementary students were offered grapefruit with the “Try Something New” promotion. Students who participated were to given a special sticker.
The Huntington UFSD’s Wellness Committee met at Southdown Primary School in December as heard from students there on what they like in the cafeterias and what they would like to see in the future. “This information was very valuable and we have already acted upon some of their suggestions,” Whitsons said.
District cafeterias even served over 3,750 “meatless Monday” meals during December.
The Huntington UFSD food service program is self-sustaining.