Chicago Public Schools rolls out new menu items for 2023-2024 school year

Nachos with Southwest Chipotle Cheesy Beans is just one of the items on Chicago Public Schools’ school lunch menu. Students were able to taste new items and vote on what they wanted. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Nachos with Southwest Chipotle Cheesy Beans is just one of the items on Chicago Public Schools’ school lunch menu. Students were able to taste new items and vote on what they wanted. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Chicago Public Schools rolls out new menu items for 2023-2024 school year

By Tia Carol Jones

With the new school year in full swing, Chicago Public Schools has launched new initiatives and menu items for the students.

Last year, Chicago Public Schools worked on its school lunch menu, working extensively to ensure that the menu met all the nutritional requirements. Chicago Public Schools also did a lot of student engagement to find out what the students wanted on the menu. That engagement included focus groups and tastings for students. From that engagement, CPS launched new menu items and new recipes.

“As we went into this school year, based on all that feedback we got last year from our students it really impacted the menu for this school year,” said Jason Mojica, Executive Director of Nutrition Support Services at Chicago Public Schools.

This year’s school lunch menu has a lot of items the students voted to have on the menu. Some of those items include biscuits and gravy, a chicken Aloha bowl, a flatbread pizza kit, chili cheese fries, popcorn chicken in different flavors and new smoothie flavors, as well as new takes on classic menu items and global flavors.

To make those items more nutritious, there is a focus on whole grains and American-made and grown products, as well as items that are low in sodium and no trans fats.

Justine Britten, Nutrition Program Manager, highlighted CPS’ macro view of nutrition on the menu, thinking about how an entire tray looks. Students can get an item like popcorn chicken, pair it with milk and vegetables and fruit to make a whole balanced meal.

When it comes to new initiatives for this school year, Chicago Public Schools expanded on its Scratch pilot where more items were cooked in the school cafeteria, as opposed to them coming in fully cooked and reheated.

The Scratch pilot started at Michele Clark Academic Prep High School, which is located on the city’s West side. The high school also was the site for a Waffle pilot where waffle irons were brought in and two days a week, students could make waffles at breakfast time. Both pilots were successful and now they have been expanded to four other high schools.

Food court-style concepts will also be introduced this school year. Michele Clark will be the first school to have this concept introduced. It will include a serving line with a pizza oven, a deli station with panini grills. Next year, the serving line will include a grilling station. If it works well, it will be expanded to Lane Tech High School.

“We’re doing this at five schools in total, with the intent to getting students to eat and increase our meal participation. And, just have our students enjoy our food and change the perception of school food,” Mojica said.

Students have responded very positively to the new initiatives and menu items. Mojica said when the waffle iron pilot started at Michele Clark, the breakfast average went up from 30 students to more than 100 students. At lunch time, the meal counts went up to between 100 and 150 students with the Scratch pilot. This year, Mojica said the students have provided great feedback.

Last year, CPS set a target to increase meal participation by 1.5% for the year and it ended up with a 2% increase.

“In a District this size, when you have declining enrollment every year, that’s very challenging to try and increase meal participation, but we did it,” Mojica said, adding that it is an indication that CPS is doing something right.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

Peggy Riggins