New food choices in District 70

Students in Libertyville Elementary District 70 will be getting healthier lunch choices next year - whether they realize it or not.

The district, which has four elementary and one middle school, for the first time in decades has changed food service providers with an eye to fresher and healthier choices.

"The (school) board is listening to the parents. They just want a better quality of food served to the kids," explained Kurt Valentin, assistant superintendent of finance and operations.

Lunches at Highland Middle School and the elementary schools will be provided by Chartwells School Dining Services, a division of the Compass Group, a giant food service management company.

As there are no kitchens in the elementary school, lunches were flash frozen and reheated on site. Starting Aug. 23, all lunches will be prepared in new ovens, steamers, and serving stations at Highland and trucked in special packaging to other schools.

Students will be able to choose from two entrees instead of one, although lunch staples such as burgers, spaghetti, pizza and chicken patties will remain on the menu.

But there will be a push to improve the nutritional value to some extent. Valentin said a new type of wheat will be used in buns, for example. Wheat also will be used in pasta and pizza dough.

"The kids don't know the difference because it's (the bun) white," Valentin said. "The whole concept is to get whole grains into all the meals without the kids realizing it's whole grains."

In a survey this spring, 16 percent of parents thought food services exceeded expectations, which is considered a low rating.

"We're going with fresh and healthy," board president Judy Zoellick said in a statement. "We did a lot of research and we're looking forward to trying something new."

The cost at elementary schools will increase by a quarter to $13.75 for a five-punch lunch ticket. A 10-punch milk ticket will remain at $2.50.

Most students brown bag, with about 15 percent to 20 percent of the district's 2,600 students buying lunch. That also is an incentive to the company, which is paid a base amount plus a fraction of a cent for each meal served.

"If they come in and do their job, the food looks attractive and the quality is good, they'll increase participation," Valentin said.