Consolidated School District of New Britain, CT Help Advance School Nutrition with Enhanced Menu
The Whitsons team at Consolidated School District of New Britain, CT is proud to help advance school nutrition and increase access for students. With this goal in mind and the desire to bring more upscale menu options to the students of New Britian, Dr. Tony Gasper, CSDNB Superintendent of Schools, came to Whitsons Resident District manager, Jeff Taddeo, with an idea.
The focus was on natural and clean label ingredient ingredients, sustainability and recipes that were made from scratch. The team took a gourmet approach to school nutrition and introduced menus that feature Grass fed beef, local produce, sustainably caught fresh fish and made-in-house marinades and condiments. Here are some of the new menu items students can enjoy right in their own school cafeteria:
- Avocado Ranch Grass Fed Burger served on a Whole Grain Pretzel Bun, with Smashed Avocado, Salsa Fresca, Ranch Drizzle and Seasoned Waffle Fries.
- House Made Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Salad and an Asiago Dusted Breadstick
- Honey Glazed Wild Caught Local Atlantic Salmon served with Brown Rice Pilaf and a fresh Ginger Marinated Edamame Salad.
- Free Range Arroz Con Pollo served with a Tomato Cucumber Salad and a fresh Whole Grain Corn Loaf
- Parmesan Crusted Local Fresh Baked Cod served with Asparagus and Whole Wheat Cous Cous Tabouleh
While planning for the new menu items, Chef Shaun Clearly traveled to schools throughout the district offering samples to the students creating excitement and getting feedback. “These kinds of menu changes are extremely rare. It’s not typical for schools to serve Atlantic Salmon and Parmesan Crusted Cod, but our district has really adopted the philosophy of ‘Why not us?’ from Dr. Gasper,” said Taddeo.
In addition to the new items, Whitsons has continued to source more organic options for
many of its popular everyday items. All yogurt in the freshly made parfaits are prepared with Stoneyfield Organic, which sources its dairy from organic farms throughout the Northeast. Whitsons is also incorporating tree fruit sourced through Red Tomato and their EcoCertified™ program, featuring a network of local growers who are committed to rigorous ecological standards regionally tailored to local climate conditions.