Canutillo moms and dads got the full back-to-school experience on Wednesday when CISD Child Nutrition Services welcomed some of them to their cafeterias to sample the meals their kids are served daily.
Cafeteria employees served treats like Hawaiian pizza, Chinese noodles and fruit salad to moms and dads participating in the fall parent-teacher conferences Wednesday afternoon.
The sampling was an effort by Child Nutrition Services to inform parents who may have questions about the taste, quality and nutritional value of the meals served in Canutillo schools.
“Cafeteria food has a stigma and our cooks have worked hard to change that mentality among students and parents,” said Marco Macias, Canutillo’s Director of Child Nutrition. “Our food is not only healthy and nutritious, it is also tasty.”
As part of the federal child nutrition program, Canutillo must adhere to the strict dietary restrictions on trans fats, sodium and calorie intake imposed by the government.
Despite that challenge, however, the meals served at breakfast and lunch cater to the distinct wants of the students of our community.
Every day, students have an array of options for lunch, including meals that closely resemble those at popular fast-food chains.
“Except our meals don’t use all-purpose flour, have less calories and a third of the sodium,” Macias said.
The District also has developed innovative meals like wraps, fruit with Tajín and even menudo to better meet the appetite of its students.
Canutillo ISD serves 1.7 million meals every year free of charge to all students in the district. Nearly 90 employees plan, prepare and serve students in CISD cafeterias.