Alabama middle school tests new menu items

MADISON, Ala. — Students at Discovery Middle School won't just determine the future by what they're learning in classrooms, they're determining what children across the state will eat by what they're learning in lunchrooms.

The school on Hughes Road is a pilot cafeteria for the state, testing new food items on the young taste buds before being introduced to other public schools in Alabama. It's a busy detail for them and the school's Child Nutrition Manager, Samantha Ledington.

With the new federal nutrition guidelines that went into effect a couple of years ago, lunchrooms across the country are revamping menus. The change-over has drawn a number of food vendors to seek Alabama Department of Education approval for their healthier products.

The process starts with the vendors submitting a menu item to the state's school nutrition advisory committee, Ledington said. If the committee OKs the item, it will send samples to pilot schools. Discovery recently tested Mandarin orange chicken.

Ledington initially offered the chicken to a peer group of 85 students from several classrooms. All but eight students loved it, she said, so on Tuesday she served the ample leftovers to all students.

"Which was overwhelming, by the way. We served a lot it," Ledington said. "It was amazing. They were buying it and coming back, getting more. And their friends were tasting it and then coming to buy some."

Ledington will send a report on the Mandarin chicken to the state advisory committee. It will then review Discovery's report with other pilot schools. If it looks like a winner, it will be offered for approval to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If it meets USDA approval, the item can be added to the state list for vendors to bid on.

Already this year, Discovery has tested seven breaded items because federal guidelines require