Fla. students taste-test new menu options

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Students in Duval County will start off the next school year with a brand new menu for breakfast and lunch. Nearly 1,500 students taste-tested hundreds of food options at the Prime Osborn Convention Center and filled out surveys on what they liked and didn't like.

The district's food service provider, Chartwells, will narrow those results down and pick the new food menu based on the favorites.

There were hundreds of food options offered Wednesday for the K-12 students to try, including healthy snacks like fruits and veggies. The food service company said they want a menu that makes the kids happy but is also going to keep them healthy.

"I liked this hamburger patty with honey BBQ sauce and it was really good. I think that should be on my menu," said Lavariay Ray.

"What I tried in there was a smoothie, and I liked the strawberry banana smoothie and it was good," said Corarie Washington.

Ray and Washington are just like any 10-year-olds. They know what they like and what they don't like.

"I didn't like a hamburger patty. It didn't have any seasoning," Ray said.

Washington agreed saying, "I didn't like the same thing, the patty, because it was kind of plain."

The students carried around pen and paper, keeping track of their favorites.

All Duval County public schools are getting new breakfast and lunch menus starting the next school year. The food service company Chartwells said it's about offering nutritional options and providing the kids with what they want.

"What we're doing is preparing for next year. These are some products, whether a commodity item we process or a purchase item like Kellogg's or Tyson," said Eric Bankhead, regional director of Chartwells. "So when we get the surveys, we will tabulate the results, and those are the