Food Services
The Greenwich School Lunch Program has always prided itself on being on the cutting edge of the School Food Service Industry. We also believe we have been on the front lines when it comes to the health and welfare of the Town’s children. Our staff members have been trained to recognize and encourage that children take a complete well-balanced meal. While it will always be a delicate balance on what children want to eat and what we can serve, it is our belief that we have and will continue to meet this balance by listening to our customers, guiding and training our staff and implementing all the tools at our disposal.
The Greenwich Public Schools participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
As participants we must serve lunches that are consistent with the applicable recommendations of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (the Food Pyramid) including: eat a variety of foods; choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits; choose a diet moderate in sugars and salt; and choose a diet with 30% or less of calories from fat and less than 10% of calories from saturated fat. In addition, lunches must provide, on average over each school week, at least 1/3 of the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances for protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. School lunches must meet Federal nutrition requirements, but decisions about what specific foods to serve and how they are prepared are made by local school food authorities (Food Service Department).
School Lunch Program Facts:
- There are no Deep Fryers in any of the 15 school kitchens in our district. All foods that you would normally associate with frying are baked.
- All vegetables are either fresh or frozen, never canned. The frozen vegetables are steamed lightly for presentation, nutrient value, texture and taste.
- All fruits are either fresh or can packed in their own juice.
- Our Taco Meat is made in house using 50% ground turkey and 50% ground beef.
- Although our lunch program could be considered a satellite program, it is only in the sense that the Greenwich High School serves as a Central Warehouse and minimally as a Central Kitchen. All the food we serve on a daily basis is cooked on site at each school. Bulk deliveries are received at the Greenwich High School, and distributed daily to the middle and elementary schools by our department’s two delivery trucks. This allows us to bring the freshest products to our customers.
- All entrée products we use are either CN Labeled, meaning they meet the nutritional standards set by the USDA for Child Nutrition Programs, or they exceed this standard.
- Our school lunch program is one of only two in the State of Connecticut that receive Cash In Lieu of Commodities. This means that instead of using surplus foods from the Federal Government, we receive the cash equivalent and purchase foods that meet our high standards.
290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830