Archived News Stories

Healthy cooking options: School lunch goes haute healthy
Read about Seth Bixby Daugherty's efforts to help cafeterias reduce fat, sugar and sodium in this Star Tribune article by Kim Ode. This companion article highlights the healthful steps schools are taking in the lunchroom and beyond.

U of M Study: Kids will eat healthier school lunches
Kare 11 News visited Sheridan Elementary to highlight a new study by the University of Minnesota. You can also read about the study at USAToday.com.

Lauded Chef Turns His Talents on School Lunches
Nutrition Services and Chef Seth Bixby Daugherty have teamed up to rework some recipes. Find out more by watching this clip on wcco.com.

Food Management Magazine Award
Saint Paul Public Schools Nutrition Services is proud to announce that Good to Go, the high school a la carte line, won "Best Station Concept" in  Food Management's annual competition. Read more about the award.

Special Report: Part 1 An apple a day?
School lunch menus have changed with the times. But have our kids? This East Side Review article highlights the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and the role played by school lunch.

School Breakfast on Kare11 Sunrise
Saint Paul Nutrition Services' Mari Lowry appeared on Kare11 Sunrise to promote the importance of breakfast.

Beyond mystery meat and tator tots
Minnesota Parent Magazine compares the lunch programs at two very different school districts: Hopkins and St. Paul. In St. Paul, 69 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch compared to just 20 percent in Hopkins, and the district spends $0.90 per lunch compared to Hopkins' $1.25.
(link no longer available)

New frontiers in the lunchroom
Jean Ronnei plunked herself next to her most important critics on Thursday morning -- a gaggle of giggling first-graders. She wanted to know what they thought about the new Tater Tot hot dish, the latest addition to St. Paul public schools' lunch menu.
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/960953.html

A new lunch choice: good ol' hotdish
The Pioneer Press covers the debut of Tater Tot Hot Dish in the Saint Paul Public Schools.
http://www.twincities.com/living/ci_6012659

After lunch, hogs munch
St. Paul will recycle food at almost all of its elementary schools by the end of the school year, and the district estimates the change will save about $48,000 across the district in waste-disposal costs.
http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_6013197

Saint Paul students begin feeding food waste to local pigs
Starting this week, Saint Paul Public Schools will begin a districtwide effort to reduce the tons of garbage thrown out every year and feed as much as possible of what's left to local pigs. Read more in the Eastside Review.

Healthy Choices for School Lunch Week
Como High School's Good to Go line was featured on the Fox 9 Morning Show on October 9th, 2006 (link no longer available).

The Shell Game: School Food is Now Spicy
Students in Saint Paul Public Schools wanted a little spice in their lives. And now they're getting it, at least at lunchtime. Stephanie Nero profiles our new taco recipe for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_6013207

St. Paul Students Clean Their Plates for the Pigs
Students at Hancock-Hamline Magnet School were featured on Kare11 on September 28th, 2006 for participating in a new recycling program that sends cafeteria food waste to a pig farm. The program saves the district money, increases pest control and cleanliness, and gives students an opportunity to help the environment and their community.
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=135577

Schools' Scraps Can be a Gift, or Just Trash
Saint Paul Public Schools has collaborated for about 15 years with the Twelve Baskets food-rescue program of Second Harvest Heartland, which delivers food to 60 nonprofit agencies. Read the St. Paul Pioneer Press story to learn more about the program.
http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_6013216

School Lunches Appeal to More Discerning Palates
On September 6th, 2006 Saint Paul Public Schools Nutrition Services Director Jean Ronnei spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer about recent changes at the lunch lines.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/09/06/ronnei/

Could You, Would You Try the Beets?
In the spring of 2006, Elementary students throughout St. Paul had the opportunity to choose our "Coolest New Veggie." Read the StarTribune story from May 4, 2006 to find out which vegetable won.
(link no longer available)