Oklahoma City-area school districts embrace healthier meal options

Cafeteria workers in Edmond are going through intense training on preparing raw meat and fresh vegetables, as the district rolls out its cooking-from-scratch plan.

The program was piloted at Cross Timbers Elementary last year, and this year will be in all 26 Edmond cafeterias.

"With processed foods you have no control over sodium or fat," said chef Dave Fouts, owner of Simply Smart Food, who was hired by the district to create the program.

"When you overcook your vegetables it destroys the nutrients," he told trainees on a recent weekday. "Oven-roasted vegetables should be spread out in a single layer not piled on top of each other. They will cook faster, look better and taste better."

He also gave tips on cooking fresh pasta and taught workers how to batch cook, so that the last students through the lunch line get food as fresh as the first ones through.

Shelly Fox, food service director for Edmond Schools, said the program was so popular at Cross Timbers last year, the number of students buying lunch increased 16 percent and adults purchasing meals increased 300 percent.

Kerri Whitley, dietitian for Sodexo, which manages the child nutrition program for Putnam City, Bethany and Piedmont Schools, said the districts have been planning all summer on how to make their menus healthier.