School Success Stories Using Soy
Schools need to serve meals that meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans while continuing to capitalize on taste and affordability. Several schools have succeeded in this endeavor by using nutritious, economical soyfoods. Here are some success stories:
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County Public School District is the 16th largest school district in the United States and is also one of the most ethnically diverse districts. The District serves about 13.1 million meals a year that increasing must meet diverse pallets and preferences, while maintaining health and nutrition.
Faced with this complex problem, Montgomery County School Food Service participated in a study to experiment with soyfoods in school meals. A plate waste study, published in the Journal of School Health, took popular menu items, including macaroni & cheese, burgers, chicken nuggets, and chicken Caesar salad, and replaced them with soyfoods. Soy pasta was used in the macaroni and cheese, soy burgers and a spicy black bean burger replaced meat burgers, veggie chik’n nuggets substituted for chicken nuggets, and veggie chik’n was used in the Caesar salad. Kids ate just as much of the soyfoods as they did of traditional menu items—indicating a high acceptability of soyfoods.
The study was such a success that Montgomery County School Food Service replaced a couple of its menu items with soyfoods despite slightly higher costs. Since the study was conducted, more soyfoods menu items have been added to the meal options.
Gwinnett County, Georgia
Gwinnett County Public Schools, located in the metro Atlanta area, is the largest school system in Georgia and continues to grow. The school district anticipates it will serve nearly 161,000 students in the 2010-11 school year. In order to provide healthier options to students, Gwinnett County Public Schools offer a meat-free meal option every day at all 119 school sites. The district has served close to one million soy-based meal options this year alone. Not only are kids willing to eat soyfoods, but kids are clearly asking for more!
Have your own success story about using soyfoods in school meals, vending machines, or a la carte lines? Share it with use at info@soyfoods.org.
