Missouri chef testing recipes for new school lunch guidelines

Feb. 27—Brad Faith, head chef for Columbia Public Schools, has been spending a lot of time talking with kids about what they want to eat.

The fourth- and fifth-grade students at Mill Creek Elementary School are representative of Faith's test subjects. He uses Mill Creek because of its large kitchen and close proximity to Rock Bridge High School, where Faith usually works.

"I know that I get honest opinions," Faith said of the Mill Creek students, who he has gotten to know over the past months.

Faith is doing more than talking. He's testing out new foods to see what portion sizes work for the kids and how easy or difficult the recipes are for the kitchen staff.