School Lunch Director Has A Lot On His Plate

It's a homecoming, of sorts, for Richard Kelleher, the returning food services director for Marblehead schools. He's back on the job, after leaving six years ago to work in Gloucester. And he has some big challenges in Marblehead.

First, the town's school lunch program ran a deep deficit last year, after an experiment with healthier foods upset many students and sent lunch sales plummeting, according to Kelleher. 

Second, Massachusetts has passed a new healthy lunch law establishing tougher nutritional guidelines, including rules around fresh fruits and vegetables.

"We need to provide nutritionally sound meals in a financially responsible manner," Kelleher said.

Kelleher has outlined several steps to get Marblehead in compliance with the new rules.

• A nutritional analysis computer program will help Kelleher evaluate all the food he serves for fat, salt, protein, etc. Parents will also be able to check the nutritional value of each school meal.
• Kelleher will buy as much locally-grown produce as possible and work with the Massachusetts Farm-to-School program.
• There will be more from scratch cooking, such as fresh sauces and other dishes with fewer processed ingredients.
• All purchased snacks will be compliant with the "A List" from the John Stalker Institute in Food and Nutrition. 
• Kelleher will work to tie his menus into the curricula being taught at each school.

Kelleher is also bringing back breakfast at the Village School, Veterans Middle School and high school.

"It really is the most important meal of the day," he said. "It sets up so many other things -- kids who eat breakfast are tardy less, have fewer behavioral problems, test better and tend to have lower body mass indexes."

Breakfast will cost $1.50 and feature things like ham, egg and cheese on an English muffin with milk and juice.

Kelleher is excited about his new menus, which should be posted sometime next week. He is a true foodie with a gourmet background. He graduated from the prestigious Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts and has worked with many famous Boston chefs.

"I love food," he said. "And I love working with kids. I'm really happy to be back."