‘You guys, the broccoli’s not that bad’: Students pick their lunches during Try Days in Quincy’s Catholic schools

QUINCY — Pete Wells of The New York Times, Ruth Reichl of The Los Angeles Times and late chef-turned-writer-slash-world-traveler extraordinaire Anthony Bourdain are among the top food critics of the 21st century.

This week, however, the critiques of students throughout the Quincy Catholic elementary schools and Quincy Notre Dame reign supreme.

“You guys, the broccoli’s not that bad,” Mila Bremerkamp, a fourth grader at St. Peter School, assured her friends.

Cheesy broccoli is one of several items being offered by Kohl Wholesale at a series of Try Days throughout the week in celebration of National Nutrition Month. After sampling a variety of foods, students vote on their favorites to appear on future lunch menus.

St. Peter academic specialist Maria Mast said exposing kids to healthier choices in a cafeteria setting emboldens them to try new things that they might not be willing to try at home.

“At school, taking a risk and trying something new is a lot of fun, and you can do it with your friends,” Mast said. 

Registered dietitian and licensed dietician nutritionist Rebecca Shinn, a Kohl Wholesale employee of 15 years, said Try Day gives students an opportunity to explore and make their own choices when it comes to what’s on their plate.

“Then (students) also come to appreciate, ‘Well, it’s healthy for me. I feel better when I eat that.’ So that’s kind of what it’s all about, too,” Shinn said. 

Several food items were offered, each accompanied by a label with quick nutritional or production facts. Students who sampled cheesy broccoli, for example, learned that broccoli is a member of the cabbage family, is planted during the spring and summer months and grows above ground. 

National Nutrition Month was established in 1980 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The theme for this year is “Food Connects Us,” which Shinn said was an opportunity to reemphasize the communal value in sharing a meal.

“There’s something very social and community-building about school lunch. A lot of learning happens here (in the cafeteria), too,” Mast said.

Shinn said the theme also provided a window of opportunity to introduce kids to globally inspired flavors, like the favorites of fourth graders Olivia Queathen and Alejandra Giesing: the Latin American-inspired beef tamales and the Asian-inspired chicken and vegetable dumplings, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, when asked what their favorite items on the lunch menu in general were, students responded with chicken nuggets, pizza and Doritos walking tacos. 

“There’s always going to be those staples. Kids are always going to love pizza, always going to love chicken nuggets,” Shinn said. “Our chicken nugget can’t be the same as a McDonald’s chicken nugget. It has to be more balanced to be able to serve it in a school lunch.”

Shinn said food items served in schools are audited to ensure they meet nutritional standards outlined in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), approved by Congress in 2010 with the goals of providing nutritionally balanced meals to low-income students and reducing “America’s childhood obesity epidemic.”

The result? A fiber-filled, whole grain chocolate lava cake on the plate of fourth grader Hudson Harris — who noted that students “had, like, five different options” for dessert last year but none this year — and squeezable fruit slushies stealthily loaded with vegetable juice — a favorite among a group of eighth graders.

A study published in January 2020 found that, with the addition of more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy and the limitation of trans fats, sodium and refined grains after the HHFKA was enacted, the quality of school lunches significantly improved. 

“Over time, since the USDA’s program has gotten more nutrition-focused — which, you know, some people get mad about it — but really, the goal is healthier children,” Shinn said.

CORRECTION: Original publication of this article stated Ms. Shinn’s first name was Rachel, not Rebecca. We apologize for the error.