I've always been impressed with our school's lunch menu. Our school district contracts with a company called [b]Chartwells International[/b]. Each day they offer 3 options at our K - 5th grade school~ all are "nut free" and at least one is meatless.
I think it's good, but I haven't compared it to anything else, so I'm curious to learn if this is what other school menus look like for elementary children.
Here's a sample week in for the first week of this month (April). "Option 1" is always "hot".
[b]Monday[/b]
[b]Option 1:[/b]
BBQ Rib Dippers, dinner roll w/ marg, orange wedges, fruit loop treat, choice of milk
[b]Option 2:[/b]
Chef Salad w/ turkey, choice of fresh fruit (apple, banana, orange) rice krispie treat, choice of milk
[b]Option 3:[/b]
Nachos with shredded cheddar and salsa, apple sauce, rice krispie treat, choice of milk
[b]Tuesday[/b]
[b]Option 1:[/b]
Choice of Cheese or pepperoni Pizza, buttered noodles, Corn, Apple sauce, choice of milk
[b]Option 2:[/b]
Bologna and Cheese sandwhich (turkey), goldfish crackers, fresh fruit choice, choice of milk
[b]Option 3:[/b]
Chicken caesar wrap (lettuce, chicken, ranch in flour tortilla shell), pretzels, raisins, choice of milk
[b]Wednesday[/b]
[b]Option 1:[/b]
Chicken Nuggets, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, chilled pears, Fun-fetti trail mix, choice of milk
[b]Option 2:[/b]
Chicken patty sandwhich, choice of fresh fruit (apple, banana, or orange), chocolate pudding, choice of milk
[b]Option 3:[/b]
Pretzel bytes w/ cheese sauce for dipping, orange wedges, fudge brownie, choice of milk
[b]Thursday[/b]
[b]Option 1:[/b]
Burger or Cheeseburger, oven fries, carrots, choc. chip cookie, choice of milk
[b]Option 2:[/b]
Toastee cheese sandwhich, bag of baked doritos, fresh fruit choice (apple, orange, banana), choice of milk
[b]Option 3:[/b]
Lucky Charms or Apple Jacks cereal, fresh banana, Graham crackers, choice of milk
[b]Friday[/b]
[b]Option 1:[/b]
Crunchy (turkey) tacos, corn, chilled pears, blue jello, choice of milk
[b]Option 2:[/b]
Bagel w/ cream cheese, Danimals Yogurt, homemade choc chip cookie, choice of milk
[b]Option 3:[/b]
Danimals Yogurt, Homemade muffin, Teddy Grahams, choice of milk
Also, a Passover meal is be offered April 6 - 12 that includes: matzos, boiled egg, cheese slices, fruit, and milk
I think this is pretty good. How does it compare to yours?
Gail
[This message has been edited by Gail W (edited April 18, 2004).]
I think that is great
Where is this school????
My son is not yet in school but I do peek at the neighbour boys' & there is always nuts in something at least 1-2 times a month, & yes there are 2 PA kids in the school.
Gail,
That menu sounds extremely similar to what our schools have as well.
I'll have to find out if it is the same lunch service as your school.
We have the same service, and I thought the menu sounded great. Unfortunately, the teachers report that most kids drink the chocolate milk, eat anything sweet and throw the rest of the tray in the trash!
The teachers also say the food isn't as good as it sounds on paper (bruised fruit, soggy bread, etc.) It's not easy to package food for mass delivery and keep it fresh and crisp.
To make it worse, there aren't enough adults around to encourage everyone to eat something, and the lunch periods are 15 minutes long!
It's really too bad most families can't have their kids home for lunch these days!
Gail, my son is in kindergarten, so not yet eating lunch at school, but when I found out they do have the option of buying lunches at school I took a look at the menu. It is comparable to yours.
There are no peanut or nut products.
I have no idea what the quality of the food is - don't know anyone who purchases it.
Our school district has always had the lunch program in-house. They are changing that. I just went to a meeting last night where it was announced that next year they will be outsourcing lunch. There was a representive from Chartwell's there, although it hasn't been decided which company they will go with. (But my impression is that if they had Chartwell's there, that is probably who they are leaning toward).
The woman from Chartwell's seemed very well informed on food allergy, but there was so much to discuss, and so little time, that I don't think we had a chance to discuss everything we needed to.
Anyway, I could find much here that was current on Chartwell's. Anyone with recent experience?
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[url="http://www.the3day.org/boston07/deedaigle"]http://www.the3day.org/boston07/deedaigle[/url]
I read a lot of sugar in that menu. I like the variety but what about green veggies other then lettuce? I only see corn and carrots.
But it looks better the public school menu here which currently serves pb and j as an option.
Here's the link to our SD's menus. (Note the last item on the menu. Every. single. day. at. every. school.
[url="http://schoolmenu.com/menu_DisplayWeek2.asp?Image=375A"]http://schoolmenu.com/menu_DisplayWeek2.asp?Image=375A[/url]
(It is also possible to access other school districts in all 50 states from the main menu, so it might be a useful means of comparing them.)
ETA:
Hmmmmm.... I begin to understand how inconceivably bad our local school situation appears to others on the boards... I've checked about a dozen other school menus all over the west and NOT ONE looks as bad as ours from a PA standpoint. Not even close. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img] No wonder all of our local elementary schools are PA -he** for DD. (I realize that there [i]are[/i] others out there just like ours.)
[This message has been edited by Corvallis Mom (edited April 25, 2007).]
although i often brag about my kids' school's "no peanut/no nut" menus, the food itself is not really that good. i'm so thankful they keep peanuts and nuts off the menu and out of the kitchen that i would never dream of complaining to them. but....the food itself is really horrid. i will eat almost anything (i'm not a picky eater at all) and even i find it to be difficult to stomach. my kids usually bring their lunch from home. our last school food service company was not always peanut/nut safe but had relatively good food as far as school lunch goes. i think school food should be decent at the very least...otherwise there is so much waste. seeing how much goes right into the trash really disturbs me.
Here's mine... groan....
[url="http://www.bsd405.org/portals/0/nutrition/MAY%202007%20%20ELEMENTARY.pdf"]http://www.bsd405.org/portals/0/nutrition/MAY%202007%20%20ELEMENTARY.pdf[/url]
Ours always has 3 choices, with ic nice...I think it's a bit much at times, but I guess variety is nice?? Ours also does serve one pb entry once a week(if they have to do it, this way is about the safest(having sealed Uncrsutables) IMO)
Monday... Pizza, Yogurt&Grahms or Uncrustable PB&J (all include a fruit, veggie and corn)
Tuesday...Chix Nuggest, Pretzel&cheese or Bean Burrito(all include a fruit, veggie and mashed potatoes&gravy)
Wed...French Toast&ham, Pepperoni Pocket or yogurt&graham crackers(all include fruit, veggie and potato rounds)
Thurs...Pizza, Oven baked chicken or hamburger(all include fruit)
Fri...Turkey&cheese sub, toasted cheese sandwich or fiesta nachos(all include fruit, veggie and rice krispie treat)
That is just one week...other days include Chix fajita, pancakes and sausage, hot dog and bun, breakfast for lunch sandwich, floppy taco, chalupa, chix slugger, coutnry fried steak, pork rib sandwich, mozzarella cheese sticks/marinara sauce, fish nuggets, BBQ chix chunks, turkey and mashed potatoes....to name quite a few. My son makes me eat lunch with him on Monday's because of the pb&j, and also the one time a month they serve the breakfast sandwich(egg)....I do think the menu is pretty good. I am unsure who supplies it though, I don't see any company name. hmmmm?
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Chanda(mother of 4)
Sidney-8 (beef and chocolate, grasses, molds, weeds, guinea pig & asthma)
Jake-6 (peanut, all tree nuts, eggs, trees, grasses, weeds, molds, cats, dogs, guinea pig & eczema & asthma)
Carson-3 1/2 (milk, soy, egg, beef and pork, cats, dog, guinea pig and EE)
Savannah-1 (milk and egg)
[This message has been edited by chanda4 (edited April 25, 2007).]
[This message has been edited by chanda4 (edited April 25, 2007).]
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