Orange County Schools Unveils New Menu Items

For the second consecutive year, Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) has unveiled new school recipes that are “chef inspired, kid approved” at its Chefs Move to Schools event in Orlando.

For the past five months, elementary, middle and high school students moved from the school cafeteria into the school kitchen under the guidance of award-winning chefs and food service managers to learn about nutrition, and create new menu selections with less sugar, salt, and fat. At the fast-paced Food Network meets Nickelodeon style event, chefs, students and food service managers showcased their new meat and vegetarian menu items for hundreds of students and staff.

A few of the new recipes include: Saigon Vegetable Sandwich with a veggie burger, Sriracha sauce, cilantro and pickled carrots; Beef Taco Lettuce Wrap with lean beef, low fat taco ingredients in a lettuce cap; Veggie Tacos with Mango Guacamole; and Meatball-Palooza Wrap with roasted vegetables & pepper jack cheese. A booklet of the featured recipes from this year’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative will be given to OCPS students to share and prepare at home with their families.

“The Chefs Move to Schools initiative offers an innovative opportunity to involve and educate our students about foods and nutrition” says Lora Gilbert, senior director, OCPS Food and Nutrition Services. "This interaction with chefs and food service managers offers them a behind-the-scenes perspective of school nutrition."