Colorado school district brings families, students together with school menu selections
Lunch time just got a lot more exciting -- and delicious -- for students at Aurora Public Schools.
Last summer, APS held its annual "Meet & Eat" event, where students and families can taste test and vote on potential school lunch menu items. From savory bites to sweet treats, there were more than 100 different food items to try, and students made their voices heard on what they want dished up at school.
"It was a lot of fun," said third grader Lilly Vair of "Meet & Eat" last August. "I liked trying the food."
In the months since event, APS Nutrition Services tallied up the votes, and the top 15 were determined. Now, the items are slowly being rolled out district-wide to make sure students enjoy the new foods before they're permanently added to menus or not. On Tuesday, the highly rated bean and cheese papusa with guacamole dippers were available at every APS school.
"It tastes really good because it's, I don't know, beany," a very smiley Lilly told CBS Colorado. "It's crispy on the outside, so like a tortilla chip, and then you have the inside with guacamole, so it tastes really good."
Even students who didn't attend "Meet & Eat" agreed the Latin American dish was delicious.
"I really like the cheese in it," fellow third grader Ephrata Tamirat said. "It's a nice change from the pizza."
APS Nutrition Services Department staff said the event is a perfect opportunity to bring families together as well as give parents a better idea of what their child is eating at school.
"We want their feedback," said James Lesley, APS Nutrition Services Department's assistant director of support & compliance. "We want their input because the only way we get better is with their input, and we want to serve what they want to eat."
Lesley explained they will roll out the other top-rated items before the school year ends before deciding what foods will make the menu. If the excitement in the cafeteria at Aurora Quest K-8 on Tuesday is any indication, the bean and cheese papusas are likely going to be a permanent pick.