Whole-Grain Cookies

LAKESIDE UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT

LAKESIDE, CALIF.

To boost lunch participation on Wednesdays, School Nutrition Lead and trained baker Leigh Ann Bozung whipped up dozens of batches of cookies, providing a free treat on every tray. The recipe uses yogurt and 51% whole-grain flour, creating a cookie that serves as a grain source and qualifies as a snack under USDA guidelines. The cookies increased participation by 20%, allowing Lakeside to invest in equipment that made production more efficient and helped reduce labor elsewhere, says Bozung. She now bakes four cookie varieties: snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, oatmeal chocolate chip and sprinkle—rotating them in for snacks as well as lunch treats.