By Nicole M. Wells, Special Writer
MONROE — For district Food Service Director Nancy Mitrocsak, feeding the student body is about more than just portion sizes, whole grains and reduced fat.
Satisfying the developing palates of the district’s students is about passion, with a sizable dollop of creativity folded in.
State Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher and U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service Mid-Atlantic Region Administrator Patricia Dombroski visited Monroe Township High School Tuesday morning to recognize the district for embracing the new federal school lunch guidelines set forth in the 2010 federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
"It has been my life’s work here in Monroe to deliver to this community the best food service that we can provide," Ms. Mitrocsak said. "It has really been such a privilege to spend 31 years here. I have loved my job here and I plan to stay for quite a while."
Mr. Fisher said that the new standards have represented both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge, he said, lies in changing some of the habits of the students, while the opportunity exists to provide better nutrition.
"We’re here to honor one of the best – Monroe Township School District – for its many successes in making students’ meals nutritious and appealing," he said. "We’re really looking forward to (taste-testing) some of these inventive dishes that the staff has prepared."
Ms. Dombroski said that the federal Department of Agriculture provides funding and support to help guide districts like Monroe through the nutrition standards.
Good nutrition plays an important role in all aspects of school performance, Ms. Dombroski said, which is why providing healthier choices is so important.
The state’s public schools have implemented the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act over the past three academic years, according to a state Department of Agriculture press release. In addition to lunch, it also set requirements for school breakfast and snacks.
The act requires more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk, and fat-free flavored milk, as well as limited saturated fat and portion size, according to the release.
"I just want to take a moment to commend the food service professionals in Monroe for their dedication to the school nutrition programs," Director of Food and Nutrition Services for the state Department of Agriculture Rose Tricario said. "It takes a strong team, with a very committed and dedicated leader to have the successes that we’ve seen here in Monroe Township."
Ms. Tricario is a graduate of Monroe Township High School and said Ms. Mitrocsak introduced her to school nutrition after she returned to Monroe from college.
"She’s a solid example of what school meals should be like," Ms. Tricario said. "So thank you Nancy and thank you to Monroe Township."
Mr. Fisher and Ms. Dombroski sampled some of the new menu items, including buffalo chicken pizza, vegetable and hummus whole grain wrap, and pesto chicken, roasted peppers and baby spinach whole grain panini, and observed a school lunch period.
On the menu for the day’s lunch were whole grain mozzarella sticks, green beans, soup of the day, a salad bar, fruit and milk. A la Carte menu items included whole-wheat crust pizza, wraps, sandwiches and premium salads and grill items, such as burgers, cheese steaks and panini.
Ms. Mitrocsak said that the district has gone back to cooking more of its menu offerings from scratch and that staff members make their own whole wheat pizza dough.
According to the release, the high school has a food court with more than 35 menu choices each day. Student input is considered in developing menu items, Ms. Mitrocsak said, through the district’s Wellness Council.
Some of the produce and herbs used in the high school’s kitchen are grown on a mobile vertical wall unit that is tended by students, according to Ms. Mitrocsak.
According to the release, there are plans to start an outdoor greenhouse to grow more foods for the school meals program.
"It’s exciting to see students engaging in our farm to school program," Ms. Mitrocsak said. "For most of the school year we are provided with wonderful fresh herbs to use in our soups and recipes."
When asked about how the district is serving the needs of students with food allergies, such as gluten (wheat) sensitivity or intolerance, Ms. Mitrocsak said that the district offers gluten-free wraps and is looking for new ways to label food containing allergens and for new offerings to better serve students with food allergies.
According to Mr. Fisher, there has been an increase in student participation in the school lunch program statewide since the new guidelines first came out.
Initially, students did not seem enthusiastic about the new offerings, but participation has increased as districts have come up with creative healthy recipes, he said.