Lentil sloppy joes? Seattle Schools put new food offerings to taste test

The folks who cook up meals for the Seattle School District will face a tough crowd Friday, as over 150 students visit headquarters to put potential new food offerings to a taste test.

The fifth-graders from John Hay and third-graders from South Shore elementary schools will rotate between tables and offer their opinions in a first-of-its kind sampling of what could end up on their plates.

“We’ve made a lot of effort to get healthier foods and better tasting foods for the kids, and who better to say if something tastes great,” says district spokesperson Stacy Howard.

Some of the stuff cooked up by the district kitchen or its vendor partners is pretty conventional, like a BBQ grilled chicken sandwich, turkey dogs, bean and cheese burritos and fish sticks.

Other menu offerings are a bit more adventurous, including a lentil sloppy Joe on a slider, chicken Tikka Masala with brown rice, butternut squash, and curry with chicken and chickpeas.

“We serve a very diverse community. We pride ourselves on having all different kinds of foods, from all different cultures, everything from pizza and ravioli to Vietnamese sandwiches, so we definitely want to test out these kids palates,” says Howard.

According to Howard, the district currently serves on average 18,400 lunches each day, and 6,400 breakfasts, which equates to about 3.3 million lunches and 1.15 million breakfasts every year.