A Celebration of ‘Good Food, Real Food'

The Legacy High School staff serve meals with a smile.

A balanced diet is an important part of good health, and the Mansfield ISD Student Nutrition Team makes sure students and staff receive that nutritious foundation every day.

National School Lunch Week is a time to recognize school nutrition professionals around the country for their passion for food and education while bringing awareness to the federally-funded National School Lunch Program.

The federal program requires school meals to meet federal nutrition standards like offering fruits and vegetables every day, serving whole grain-rich foods, and limiting fat, calories and sodium.

Mansfield ISD has gone above and beyond those standards by adding a variety of scratch meals and fresh options on the menu. Some of the house-made items are chicken spaghetti, lasagna, taco meat, hot rolls, cinnamon rolls, various breads and sauces.

Rita Denton, director of student nutrition at MISD, said the weeklong celebration of National School Lunch Week is a great way to recognize the impact the kitchen staff has on their campuses.

“It’s a week that we get to celebrate our team and stakeholders. We get to give thanks to our food service professionals,” she explained. “They come in every day preparing fresh, healthy, delicious meals for our students.”

The theme for National School Lunch Week 2018 is “School Lunch: Lots 2 Love.” Some of the special celebrations at MISD included giveaways, highlighting student favorites on the menu, emphasizing locally sourced ingredients and providing free desserts for elementary students.

“For us, it’s just a celebration about ‘good food, real food’ and about our students,” Denton said.

She added that her team members are some of the best and most cheerful in the industry. They play a crucial role in starting the day off right with a breakfast and recharging the students at lunchtime.

MISD’s Student Nutrition Services served more than 5 million meals last year with a projection to serve even more this year.

National School Lunch Week 2018 is Oct. 15 through Oct. 19. The observance was started in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy.

For more information about MISD’s Student Nutrition Services, visit the department’s webpage.