Sept. 2022 | Vol. 8 Iss. 09
FREE
MEATLESS LUNCH OPTIONS SERVED WITH LOVE AT HEARTLAND ELEMENTARY By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
H
eartland Elementary Kitchen Manager Kim Stafford loves to make food that her students like to eat. So, when she started to identify a number of students who were turning down the school lunch entrees, she wanted to know why. When she discovered many students had special dietary needs, she went out of her way to provide alternative lunch options for them. Many of the students don’t eat meat due to cultural or personal reasons. Heartland has students that are Muslim and Jewish who follow specific food preparation rules. The district provides about 10 substitute meatless meals but Stafford didn’t want to keep serving alternative sunbutter sandwiches, salads, and plain noodles, which made the kids stand out as different from their peers. Stafford worked with a nutritionist to develop alternative meals similar to what the other kids were being served. Instead of limited menu options, vegetarian students now get the same variety as their peers. She replaces chicken with extra vegetables and makes a pot of meatless spaghetti sauce instead of just serving plain noodles. Many of the students can eat fish, so Stafford has become creative with fish sticks to create more options, such as fish wraps and fish sandwiches. Principal Buddy Alger said it is common for kitchen workers to adjust lunch options for kids with food allergies but what Stafford does is extraordinary. “Kim not only took initiative to meet with the dietician and find out what was healthy and valuable, she went above and beyond to make sure it was a delicious meal, not just what fits the A variety of alternative meal options are offered to vegetarian students at Heartland Elementary. (Photo courtesy of Kim Stafford) Continued page 20
$5 OFF a purchase
15 SAUCES OVER 50 FRESH INGREDIENTS NAAN PIZZA DOUGH MADE FRESH DAILY Craft Your Own Pizza
Indian Food, Pizza, & Wings
Indian Food, Pizza & Curry Wings
2927 S 5600 W West Valley
125 N SR 24 Bicknell, UT
1086 W South Jordan Pkwy South Jordan
801-890-0415
435-425-2500
801-302-0777
w w w. C u r r y P i z z a U t a h . c o m
Local Postal Customer ECRWSS Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.
of $30
Valid Monday-Thursday. Cannot be combined with other offers.
Expires Sept. 30, 2022
Thank You to our Community Sponsors for supporting City Journals
Presort Std U.S. Postage PAID Ogden, UT Permit #190