TRI-CITIES, Wash. —
Every first Friday in May is considered School Lunch Hero Day. The day was created to honor the hard work school lunch staff puts in to make sure kids are eating nutritional and still delicious meals.
I spoke with nutrition experts for the Kennewick and Pasco School districts about their hard work.
Staff tell me they care about what the kids eat. Most are parents themselves and want to make sure each student eats a warm home cooked meal.
For some students, the meals they have while at school are the only meals they’ll have throughout the day. Which is why it’s such an important job to them.
“We’re grateful that we could be part of that process in serving the kids that need it.” says Sheri Ballao, a Kitchen Manager at Chinook Middle School.
Like other schools and districts, kitchen staff from Chinook Middle School spent countless hours in the kitchens cooking meals students and their families can pick up during the pandemic.
She tells me it was amazing to feel needed in a time when most families were struggling.
To her, being part of a staff that cares about the students means way more than being part of the kitchen staff.
Every district dedicates love and effort in every meal, something Pasco School District takes to heart.
PSD Field Supervisor, Meranda Hamilton tells me having foods that represent the community they serve, shows in the volume of food they need to cook.
Not too long ago, school began serving homemade Pozole and the demand for it increased.
“It was kind of a surprise to the students because it’s something different and unique to our district.” Meranda tells me. “When that got going, the shee volume of what we had to make to accommodate all of our students, that’s what we take as a positive.”
Home cooked meals the staff takes lots of pride in.
“They take a lot of pride in making sure that things are cooked properly, that they’re aesthetically pleasing and they get to see that reaction when kids get their meals.” she adds.
The reactions students give them? Priceless.
Sheri and Meranda say feedback and changes are strongly considered and students can tell.
Every so often, students at various schools are surveyed on the specific meals or food available. The feedback? Well some students think specific foods aren’t worth it while others offer suggestions.
Sheri says many students hated the meatball subs Chinook MS was offering so a simple change like different buns was implemented. Since, the students love it once again.
“Sometimes they’ll say I do not like meatballs. Or we don’t like the peas on the offering bar.” Sheri tells. “So even though we are required to have certain items there. We can take their feedback and adjust.”
Both tell me the ultimate goal is having fun with food served while also keeping it healthy.
