On any given day at Union High School, students can choose from nine places to eat. That’s more options than some colleges offer.
On Wednesday, some students had their trays loaded with sesame honey chicken and sticky rice, sweet potatoes and sugar snap peas from the school’s Asian food line, Wok Works. Others opted for cheesy enchiladas and refried beans at the Mexican line, Mercado de Salsa, or pizza from Basil’s, the Italian line.
And still others emerged from the deli with customized sub sandwiches or a hot panini from The Grill.
The variety of these healthy, quality food options, along with favorable ratings from the students, have ranked Union’s “cafeteria” food as fourth in the nation in the 2015 Niche Rankings for the best food category. Niche, formed in 2002, runs a ranking and review website. Union was ranked fourth out of nearly 4,000 districts across the country.
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Union’s director of child nutrition, Lisa Griffin, describes the ranking as a great honor. Griffin said she’d been telling her staff that they would become nationally recognized for their work.
“I was just trying to encourage them,” she said. “To have it actually happen, and happen so soon, it’s humbling.”
Griffin has been working with the district for six years, and three years ago the new Union Collegiate Academy opened. The high school wanted to provide a more college-style experience for students, and food service was not left out.
Other food lines include the re-branded cafeteria, now called “The Caf,” which offers items such as cheeseburgers, fries and a salad bar; the Cyber Cafe, offering coffee and a few grab-and-go foods; the Energy Bar, offering a la carte items; and House Specialties, offering traditional American fare like chicken pot pie and beefy stew.
Griffin said her aim has always been to put the customer — the student — first. She sees what they want and like to eat, then she and her staff try to make it happen while sticking to federal regulations for school meals, including the requirement to offer certain fruits and vegetables, and cut salt and butter.
Candyse Walker, the Union High School executive chef, said making healthy meals that are appealing to students is not that difficult.
“As long as it looks good and tastes good, they eat it,” said Walker, a Union graduate who was a chef at several restaurants before taking the job at Union three years ago.
That means even famously unpopular foods to kids — such as broccoli and kale — are finding an audience at Union, Walker said.
Betsy Keller, the cafeteria manager at the high school, said tasty meals can be made while sticking to federal health regulations. Roasting brings out the foods’ natural flavors, and using fresh or dry herbs means students won’t even miss the salt, she said.
The school tries to make as many items from scratch as possible.
“It cuts down on waste,” Walker said.
“It also makes it look prettier,” Keller said. The reds and greens of freshly cut peppers are appealing. “Presentation is a huge factor here.”
The high school has 33 people on the food service staff, most of whom are continually cooking.
“We cook one pan at a time,” Walker said, which she said also helps cut down on waste and keep things fresh.
Keller said the staff also make an effort to engage the students during their brief encounters. She said that helps set a positive atmosphere.
“Lunch should be a happy place,” she said.
The school feeds about 2,000 of its 3,300 students each day. That includes the sophomores, who have to eat at school, and many of the juniors and seniors, who can leave campus for lunch but choose to stay.
Asked his opinion of the school food while no school employee was around, one senior said, “Honestly, I love it.”
Wade Witcher, a Union sophomore, also likes the food. He’s particularly a fan of the deli, where his favorite is a sandwich called “The Godfather.”
Witcher said having good lunch options makes the school day more enjoyable. He also said whenever he’s with friends from other districts and the topic of school lunch comes up, he always hears complaints.
“But we don’t have much to complain about, so we’re left out of those conversations,” he said.
