School district’s new healthy lunch menu brings a rise in traffic

Whole-wheat pizza, along with fresh fruit and vegetables, have replaced mass-produced menu items in cafeterias at Lake Hamilton School District in Garland County, Ark., causing more students to buy lunch, katv.com reports.

The district says that simple changes to the menu, such as the addition of student-friendly food items like hot dogs and pizza, have minimized the amount of food ending up in the trash. All the items on the new menu—even those that are traditionally unhealthy—meet federal nutritional guidelines.

“All of our crusts are whole grain-rich, and all of our buns are whole grain-rich,” said Director of Dining Services Zachary Thayer.

Also new this year is the all-you-can-eat fruit and vegetable bar offering fresh fruit and vegetables cut daily.

“We don’t expect students to abuse how many vegetables they take in, but the point is we want them to get more vegetables in their systems, so we don’t limit those choices,” said Thayer.

Trays at the school are also shallower than normal, forcing them to be filled with fresh food more often.

In the future, the district plans to have chefs come in and work with students to do tastings and help teach them new cooking skills.

Read the full story via katv.com.