JOSHUA BRIGHT/The New York Times/Redux (serving food); Shutterstock.com (ketchup, mustard)

Taste Testers

A fourth-grader learns how foods end up on the menu at her school.

As You Read: Would you change anything about your school’s lunch menu?

Alex Zimmerman/Civic News Company

Elsa Hammerman and her letter

Last spring, Elsa Hammerman noticed something during lunch. Her favorite meal, roasted chicken, was gone from the menu. It had been removed from public schools in New York City to save money.

Elsa wrote a letter to a school official. She politely asked him to bring back her favorite meal. A few months later, Elsa got a big surprise. Roasted chicken was once again on the menu at her school, P.S./I.S. 187!

“I was so excited,” the 11-year-old says. “My friends and I always looked forward to the roasted chicken. And it was back!” 

Elsa soon learned that she could play an even bigger role in her cafeteria. She could help plan her school’s lunch menu! 

More than 4.8 BILLION lunches were served in U.S. public schools last year.

What’s for Lunch?
Watch a video to go behind the scenes at the test kitchen!

Lunch Lab

Thanks to Elsa’s letter, her class was invited to the New York City Public Schools test kitchen. That is where menus for the entire New York City school district are created. The district is the largest in the United States.

Hundreds of students visit the test kitchen each year. These kids have a big—and fun—job. They get to be food critics for the day. They help select the dishes that more than 912,000 students eat for lunch in New York City.

“It’s so important that kids have a say in what they’re served for lunch,” explains Nelson Quiles. He works for the New York City Public Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Services. 

Students sample four or five foods during each visit to the test kitchen. They vote on whether they like each one. Then they give feedback.

Quiles says it’s important for kids to give as many details as possible. 

“For instance, don’t just tell us it’s gross,” he explains. 

Elsa and her classmates tried a cheesy pasta dish called manicotti. Many of the students didn’t like it. Some said there was too much cheese. The class also tasted an egg sandwich. Overall, the kids liked that one. Though some of them thought the bread was soggy.

More than 1,500 kids try each new dish. Most of the students must like it for it to be served in cafeterias across the city. 

“We want to make sure the food is not only healthy but something kids actually want to eat,” Quiles explains.

Alex Zimmerman/Civic News Company

At the test kitchen, Elsa’s class voted on foods by using special cards called plickers.

It’s important that schools across the country serve food kids like. If not, the meals could end up in the trash. In fact, U.S. public schools produce about 530,000 tons of food waste each year. That’s according to the World Wildlife Fund. All that wasted food could fill about 30,000 garbage trucks!

But public schools can’t serve just anything students want. Schools must follow rules set by the U.S. government. The rules help make sure school meals are healthy (see “What’s on Your Plate?”). Experts say kids who eat nutritious foods are more focused than those who don’t. They also tend to have more energy. 

Pause and Think

Why is it important that schools serve meals kids like?

Using Their Voices

This school year, the egg sandwich Elsa’s class reviewed was added to the lunch menu. But there was one big difference. The bread that some kids thought was soggy was gone. It had been replaced by a croissant.

“It was so cool,” Elsa says. “They actually listened to the suggestions. I hope they continue to listen to kids.”

What's On Your Plate?

USDA

The U.S. government sets rules for what can be served in public school cafeterias. New rules are set to go into effect next school year. One will limit the amount of added sugars allowed in school meals. The rule will affect foods like cereal, flavored milk, and sweetened yogurt. 

This tray shows the smallest amount of each type of food elementary schools must serve each day. 

  • Fruit: 1/2 cup
  • Vegetables: 3/4 cup
  • Milk: 1 cup
  • *Whole Grains: 1 ounce
  • Meat or Meat Substitute: 1 ounce


*Note: At least 80 percent of grains offered must be between 50 and 100 percent whole grain. Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service

  1. How do kids help at the New York City Public Schools test kitchen?
  2. How does the article show that the test kitchen actually listens to the feedback kids give?
  3. What are three facts you can learn from the sidebar, “What’s on Your Plate?”
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