CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Ahead of school openings for students in Kanawha County next week, the head cook at Hayes Middle School can already predict what will be most in demand in her cafeteria.
“They definitely love the pepperoni rolls, but I think every kid likes the pepperoni rolls,” said Bernice Goodwin. “They love the pizza. A lot of the kids love the cheeseburgers, but I think their absolute favorite’s got to be the pepperoni rolls.”
Goodwin was at Capital High School on Thursday morning with dozens of other school cooks from throughout Kanawha County to learn how to make new school menu items that may eventually become student favorites.
The session was part of this week’s ongoing annual training for Kanawha County’s 325 total full-time and half-day school cooks.
“The emphasis is to try to bring some more of the whole grain items, but also showcase some of the things that we were already using, but kind of kick it up a notch and add a little flavor,” said Diane Miller, child nutrition director for Kanawha County Schools.
“It’s just not ‘heat and serve’ facilitation of food any longer.”
Cooks were tasting and learning how to make items like egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, yogurt parfaits with overnight oats and breakfast flatbreads along with revamped mashed potatoes and fries and a turkey sandwich on a pretzel bun.
Many of the menu additions have already been student-tested.
“We have things that the kids have been asking for over the last year,” Miller explained.
“We keep doing the surveys and trying to talk to them and see what they really want and so, over the summer, we’ve tried to procure those items with our vendors.”
Also on hand for the training sessions was Tommy Grant from Carver Career and Technical Center’s ProStart Restaurant Management program. He was demonstrating proper knife skills for the cooks.
Healthier eating is the goal, said Miller.
“I can encourage and I want to make sure that we have several options so that making those choices are very easy,” she told MetroNews.
The first day for students in Kanawha County is Monday.
“I hate to see the summer go. I get to spend time with my family. I’ve got four nieces and nephews,” Head Cook Goodwin said of the changing seasons. “But then I get excited when I get to see the kids here at the school because the kids are what makes it fun.”