“The salad bar is currently in place.”
by Mira Reverente
Ventura students have a lot to look forward to in the coming months and school year.
In a multi-step move towards healthier eating, the food and nutrition services department at Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) has been unveiling a number of fresher choices at most school sites.
“The salad bar is currently in place,” says Kara Muniz, director of food and nutrition services, gesturing towards one which was being prepared with freshly-cut and locally-sourced produce like salad greens, orange slices, cucumber slices, whole strawberries and celery stalks. “We are also slowly moving away from packaged food which were in use during the pandemic.”
VUSD was serving about 6,600 breakfasts and 7,600 lunches to the larger Ventura community, not just students, during the pandemic. The numbers have dwindled since then to just 5,000 for breakfast and 6,500 for lunch.
Post-pandemic, Muniz said her department is always evaluating options. “We look at the data and we always want to do better,” she says. Also in the works is the creation of a student advisory committee to help evaluate food choices, assist in menu planning and just gauge the collective palate of the greater student body.
Very soon after completing staff training, new commercial-grade tilt skillets will be in use at Foothill Technology High School (FTHS), among a few high school and middle schools.
“We are very excited to use this soon, as this will help to make batch cooking more efficient at an even temperature and also improve safety,” says Lori Walker, FTHS child nutrition manager. “It will also significantly increase the kitchen’s capacity to churn out hot meals from scratch.”
On the day the local press was given a tour of the FTHS cafeteria, steaming bowls of orange chicken and brown rice were on the menu and hurriedly being dished out by the staff as lunch hour was fast approaching.
For easy reference, all recipes are available online for staff to peruse and refer to anytime. “This assures consistency across all school sites,” says Adam Herrera, operations manager.
If for some reason orange chicken and brown rice bowls do not appeal to some students, they can also choose from an array of sandwiches, wraps, protein boxes and the salad bar, of course. Up to eight entrees are available at the high school level and two at the elementary level.
