LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Maribel Valdez,

More fresh produce is being added to the menus in the cafeterias at the Laredo Independent School District.

LISD Child Nutrition Program now includes herbed red potatoes to its school lunch menu for April and May. The Child Nutrition Program received 4,000 pounds of herbed red potatoes from the Texas Farm School Project for the school lunch menus.  The potatoes were introduced to the students at Ryan Elementary School in a cooking demonstration by local chef Bobby Gonzalez.

LISD participates in the Texas Farm School Project, a USDA program that provides Texas grown fruits and vegetables to schools.  This school year, LISD received items such as apples, oranges, grapefruits, and will soon be receiving watermelons to include as part of the lunch menu.

Farm to School brings healthy food from local farms to school children across Texas. The program teaches students about the path from farm to fork, and instills healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. At the same time, use of local produce in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market for farmers in the area and mitigates environmental impacts of transporting food long distances.

Margaret Lopez, LISD Child Nutrition Director stated that 98% of children eat a school lunch meal five days a week, 175 days a year. Laredo ISD serves 21, 250 lunches and 16, 900 breakfasts every school day totaling 6, 561, 800 meals a year plus 234, 500 meals for the summer programs. “If school lunches can taste great, and support the local community, it is a win-win situation for everyone,” Lopez said. “We take into consideration the health and well-being of the children in our school system when planning their meals.”

The Texas Farm School Project sprouted from the desire to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, and improve student health by reducing childhood obesity.