Seventeen Flour Bluff Primary and Intermediate students were invited to participate in the School Nutrition Food Services Expo by the Sea hosted by the Education Service Center, Region 2, at the American Bank Center. The biennial event brings together school food nutrition vendors, school district food services directors and students to help provide the highest quality food choices and products to school cafeterias in the Corpus Christi area.
Over 100 school nutrition vendors were on-hand at the Expo by the Sea. Vendors held demonstrations on nutrition products and equipment and offered food samples. Normally, students receive grades but as they visited booths at the Expo, trying out the latest in school lunch and breakfast offerings, Flour Bluff students and students from Districts across the Coastal Bend were grading vendors and the food samples. Each student was asked mark the booth they visited, the food sample and whether they liked or disliked the item.
“We hold this event to help the school nutrition decision makers make decisions on food choices, equipment and school nutrition products,” said Melissa Morin, event coordinator. “Involving the students as taste testers help the vendors and school nutrition directors find products that are healthy, tasty options the students will actually like and eat.”
Our Flour Bluff Hornets weren’t shy about trying out new foods and enjoyed tasting some old favorites. The wieners, pork, corn muffins and spicy macaroni and cheese were the biggest hits with the students. They also enjoyed nibbling on old favorites like pizzas and chicken nuggets.
The vendors receive the feedback and ratings from the students and say it’s important what the students think. They enjoy having them taste test and provide feedback on what they like and dislike.
Thanks to our student taste testers, Flour Bluff school cafeterias may soon be offering new school lunch menu options like empañadas and spicy chicken nuggets.