BY SHEILA HELMBERGER

When the menu includes sushi and smoothies, teriyaki chicken and dumplings you might think you are reading selections for a new restaurant in town. These are just a few of the items included in the school offerings this year in Brainerd Public Schools. It is safe to say today’s school students are eating a lot differently than they did 20 or even 10 years ago. There is a lot to look forward to for students heading back to school this year, including what they will find in the school cafeteria.

Serving over one million meals a year: 5,000 lunches and 2,000 breakfasts a day, is a big job and the staff in the district does it well. Today’s meals include numerous options made from scratch or semi-scratch, cooked in-house, and grown fresh from local sources.

Sushi will be offered in the snack line at the high school this year as an exciting new addition for students as well as Asian style dumplings and noodles, cheesy pull apart bread and the Warrior breakfast sandwich as a lunch option. A chocolate and apple chickpea spread is also new and can be used for dipping apples, graham crackers and carrots. The grill and pizza line will offer more grab and go meals, also known as power boxes, for students and a new fava bean crisp will be coming later in the year. Ingredients are being sourced to offer ramen and poke-style bowls.

Some favorites that debuted last year, such as meatball subs, flatbread pizza and quesadillas, will make a return to the lunchroom this fall.

Alissa Thompson, Nutrition Services Director for Brainerd Public Schools, says special attention has been given to the breakfast offerings for students.

“We believe breakfast is a vital part of a student’s day and we want to make sure they have options in the morning. We will be expanding our smoothie line and fruit bakes and will be offering overnight oatmeal in K-12. All cereals have reduced sugar options, and we are introducing more protein in our breakfast items when we can.”

Items prepared by scratch in the district include overnight oatmeal, turkey gravy, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, Italian dunkers, chili, sloppy Joes, coleslaw and more. Food prepared semi-scratch includes flatbread pizza, chicken alfredo, meatball subs, quesadillas, tacos and more.

With most schools having close to full kitchens, Brainerd Public Schools can bake its own bread including hamburger buns, banana bread, muffins, rolls, tea biscuits, kaiser buns, Italian loaf bread and more. The kitchen at Forestview Middle School can bake over 2,000 buns a day.

Brainerd Public Schools is in the final year of a 100K Farm to School Grant ending in February. Alissa says the money has made it possible to purchase new equipment as well as to source local foods through the Sprout food hub.

“We have been active members of the farm to school movement but never delved into local meats and dairy,” she says, “With this grant we have been able to start procuring beef and pork. This has allowed us to create new recipes and offer enticing choices to our students.” Local farms and other sources have also been able to provide fresh menu items and ingredients depending on the season, which include honey, apples, tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, peppers, berries and cucumbers.

Depending on the age of a student the number and type of menu options can vary. Kindergarten through fourth grade students have two choices at breakfast and a mainline lunch or Warrior cold lunch bag. Fifth through eighth grade students get two choices for breakfast. Lunch choices include a full salad bar, mainline lunch and a pizza line. Students at the high school are offered two choices for breakfast as well as a snack line breakfast. Lunch features a full salad bar, grill line, main line, specialty line and snack line. An order ahead option for subs or a chipotle burrito bowl will also be included some days.

All of this is accomplished daily by a staff of around 50 cooks, including site supervisors and program operators.

If you have ever considered working for the Brainerd Public Schools food service, they are currently hiring. The job can be a good fit for almost any schedule with no nights and no weekends. The hours accommodate those with students in the schools and training is done on the job.

Read more stories in the Fall 2024 Brainerd Public Schools Magazine.