California district serves up farm-fresh food

TURLOCK, Calif. — At one food-service counter at Turlock High School, students can get sandwiches made with all-natural beef or chicken on whole-wheat rolls. At another, the same meats end up in burritos made with a healthy touch.

The Turlock Unified School District has been a leader in ditching bad cafeteria fare in favor of items with less fat and salt and more vitamins and fiber. On top of that, it has strived to get most of its food from California sources.

The efforts have drawn statewide attention. Turlock is one of 15 districts chosen for next week’s launch of California Thursdays, a campaign that encourages the serving of wholesome foods from in-state producers on Thursdays.

Not much will change in Turlock, because students already get this stuff every day, but Thursdays will be a chance to highlight particular items, said Scott Soiseth, district director of child nutrition.

He talked about the campaign last week while showing off Turlock High’s deli counter, where students can get, among other things, tri-tip from cattle raised without hormones or antibiotics.

“If you had been here 20 years ago, this was a snack bar serving pizza pockets and processed burritos,” Soiseth said.

The daily choices on the campus include a Mexican food counter, burgers from a mobile charcoal grill, and rotisserie chicken served with vegetables. All of the dishes, along with the breakfast menu, meet new federal standards that emphasize low fat, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

“It’s good, and there are a lot of options to choose from,” freshman Matthew Lambert said as he waited in line at the Mexican food counter.

Sophomore Ashley Fraiser, a fan of the beef burritos, agreed. “I think they make the meat healthy,” she said. “It’s not greasy or anything.”

Freshman Arianna Lara dined on a chicken