ASD says it wants to ‘transform’ school lunch experience with new program

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Most lunches served in the school cafeteria are nothing to brag about, but the Anchorage School District is trying to turn that around, especially when it comes to what the youngest students are putting on their trays.

ASD Director of Student Nutrition Marci McGill said the district is trying to improve the school lunch experience by offering more items made from scratch.

On a recent day at ASD’s Central Kitchen, workers were mixing up big batches of baked goods as well as homemade marinara sauce that would be used for meatball sandwiches later in the week.

“We are looking at transforming how we purchase food, how we produce food, and how we serve food,” McGill said, adding that making more recipes from scratch allows them to control what goes into the food, including incorporating more local ingredients.

According to McGill, ASD is currently cooking about 32% of its recipes from scratch at the Central Kitchen which are then delivered to schools where they can be reheated. The goal is to reach 75% over the next five years.

McGill said the style of food preparation is more labor intensive, although the final cost can be cheaper than buying premade food which the district does now.

The federal government reimburses districts for the cost of meals, and although programs that help schools buy food from local sources have recently been cut, McGill said she knew of no reduction in federal food funds for the Anchorage District.

The district is facing a shortage of cafeteria managers which has impacted what foods are served at some schools. McGill said at least two elementary schools are still serving only cold lunches because of staffing shortages.

The district is also changing how meals are served with a pilot program that incorporates open tray service at 14 elementary school cafeterias. Instead of having food covered in plastic in a two-part container, students can serve themselves, choosing items individually to put on their trays.

“They can decline a certain food if they don’t want it, and they can take a little bite if they’d like to try it,” McGill said. “So, we are looking at the overall improved customer experience.”

McGill said the pilot program is leading to a lot less food waste and garbage in general. In addition, she said, more students are buying school lunches.

Sand Lake Elementary Principal Linson Thompson said his school has only had the program for about a month but already he’s seeing positive results.

“I think it’s beneficial for our students,” he said. “I think it’s a new opportunity for them to learn how to make healthy choices and the amount of trash that goes out of the building is reduced tremendously.”

McGill said the district plans to convert 10 more elementary schools to open tray service next year.

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