Teens Taste Test School Lunch Choices

Earlier this week, six student leaders from Wallingford’s two high schools performed an important job for their fellow students. They tasted high school lunch entrees to help the Wallingford schools’ Food Services Department choose options for next year.

Food Service Director Sharlene Wong is investigating entrée options that comply with new federal nutrition guidelines. Because many school food manufacturers make the same types of foods, she decided to have the students try different versions to see which they preferred. School Superintendent Dr. Salvatore Menzo and Board of Education member Joe Marrone also took part in the taste test.

In the first of several tastings planned for this school year, the students from Lyman Hall and Sheehan high schools sampled multiple versions of the following items:

• beef crumble and beef strips
• cheese pizza dippers
• hamburger patties
• meatballs
• omelets
• regular and spicy cheese-filled sticks
• three-bean vegetable chili
• wedge cheese pizza

Wong says she will base her decisions about what to serve on input from the students rather than on cost. Her goal is to serve food that the students won’t throw away, she maintains.

To find out more about what the taste testers thought of the choices, check out this article in the Record-Journal.