HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Pizza, pasta, and treats like cookies may end up on your kid’s school lunch menu, but Tampa Bay area school districts are also working to get more fresh, locally-grown produce on their plates.
Just by looking at the quickly cleared plates, Thursday’s menu at Pinecrest Elementary in Lithia was a hit.
"I have chicken, banana, broccoli, chocolate milk, and corn,” said 9-year-old Raquel.
The fan favorite among some students was the sweet corn.
"It doesn't have too much sweetness in it, but it's also juicy at the same time,” said Raquel.
Hillsborough County Schools is working with the non-profit Locally Grown and local farmers to bring more healthy meals to kids in the area.
Arianne Corbett, a nutritionist for the district, said they’re working on building a farm-to-school program for the county.
She explained they serve about 30 million meals over the course of a school year, adding that’s 30 million opportunities to expose students to nutritious fruits and vegetables.
"We're looking at how can we buy Florida produce, how can we buy from Florida businesses and reinvest our dollars into the local economy,” said Corbett. “And how can we teach kids about food and nutrition and do it in the cafeteria where they have access to all these healthy, amazing foods.”
Corbett said the district spent $5 million on Florida-grown produce last year. She said they do all of this work to educate kids.
"We also want to help them learn how to have healthy bodies as well because we can teach them all the things in the world, but if they leave here and they don't know how to take care of themselves, they're not going to have a quality of life and be productive citizens,” said Corbett.
Charlie Hogan, the Food Service Sales Director with R.C. Hatton Farms, said some of the food they grow, from green beans to sweet corn and cabbage, ends up in Hillsborough County schools.
"Oftentimes, when you ask a kid where their food comes from, they might say Publix,” said Hogan. “It is an honor to get to meet kids, meet teachers and principals, and talk to them about where their food grows because Florida feeds about 79 million people east of the Mississippi River in winter months."
Pinecrest students on Thursday gave their lunch two thumbs up.
"It's really good for your body, and it’s really healthy,” said 9-year-old Janessa.
