Can you remember what your school lunch tray looked like? You probably recall something less than healthful: square pizza, frozen veggies, and your only choice was likely between regular or chocolate milk. Things have certainly changed.
New Albany High School gives its students the ability to control their cafeteria lunches, right down to what kind of pizza they prefer. A student advisory council meets quarterly with Superintendent Michael Sawyers and has a taste testing session, where the group can customize the cafeteria’s menu.
Food Service Coordinator Carol Hamilton is responsible for all the delicious options at the school. She thinks students should be trusted to make choices and take responsibility for their selections and nutrition.
“I just think as long as you allow them to have a voice, they’ll keep coming back,” she says.
Hamilton has been in the nutrition industry for 28 years, but started at New Albany High School in May 2018. Since then, she has implemented a special program called Ohio Days. On these days, the cafeteria menu is entirely made up of foods sourced from Ohio, down to the milk and the bread.
“I’m a country girl myself, so I think it’s important to support local groups,” Hamilton says. “The more local it is, the fresher it is.”
She works with the Franklin County Board of Health to design the Ohio Days menu, and sits on a committee to make sure everything meets the school’s standards. Hamilton uses places such as Whitebarn Organics and Lynd Fruit Farm, offering students endless fruits and vegetables.
“What I’m really impressed with,” Hamilton says, “is that New Albany High School doesn’t restrict the amount of fruit and veggies students can get at lunch. They are charged the same price, no matter how much they want.”
And with options like fresh spinach, peas, onions and peppers, it’s not hard to imagine how stacked students’ trays get.
With a total of 2,900 lunches served a day in grades seven through 12, it’s impressive that Hamilton finds the time to make sure student input is taken into account. The most important thing, she says, is to offer students a diversity of choices and give them the freedom to decide.
While we may drool over the school’s fresh omelet days or the customizable mac and cheese bar, thinking back on our own comparatively pitiful school lunches, Hamilton sympathizes with our jealousy.
“Trust me, I know,” she says, laughing. “In my lunches (as a kid), I got something that was called ‘pizza-like’ – not exactly pizza.”
Hamilton is looking forward to switching up the menus, giving more options and organizing more Ohio Days. Her plate is definitely full, but with the delicious food that she’s serving, she’s not complaining.
Mallory Arnold is an associate editor. Feedback is welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
