FOCUS GROUPS FOR FOOD SERVICES: D99 STUDENTS SELECTED FOR SCHOOL MEALS TASTE TESTING 🍽️

While coming to school, completing assignments and being an active member of the school community are all important for student success, so is focusing on healthy meals and proper nutrition!

Nutritious and good-tasting school breakfasts and lunches aren't just important for feeding kids — they're a vital part of fueling students' physical development, improving academic performance and reducing food insecurity.

In an effort to give students a voice and be proactive in helping the District select upcoming school menus, the District's Food Services Department partnered with meals vendor Open Kitchens to host a special taste testing Thursday morning at Unity Junior High School.

About two dozen students from both Unity and Sherlock were selected to participate in the food focus group, allowing students the chance to sample and evaluate new and healthy foods in a low-pressure setting. The goal of the experience was to not only encourage students to try unfamiliar foods, but also empower them to provide valuable feedback to helping shape future menus across District 99!

Food samples provided by Open Kitchens included French toast, chicken cordon bleu, chicken al pastor, Puerto Rican rice and Irish nachos.

Through the taste testing, students were introduced to foods they might not see at home, properly testing recipes with students before adding them to the official menu to ensure kids will actually eat them (reducing food waste), feel comfortable trying unfamiliar items by watching peers participate (overcoming food reluctance) and provided feedback through directly voting and surveying each item.

District 99 believes it's never too early to instill good eating habits in students, and school meals are a great place to start!