Minnetonka outlines 'Tonka Fresh' nutrition changes, food truck and student‑designed elementary menus

At a March 27 study session, Minnetonka Public School District officials gave the board an update on nutrition services, detailing new staff hires, outreach and menu experiments billed under the “Tonka Fresh” brand and plans to pilot a food truck and student‑designed elementary menus.

Director of Nutrition Services Kirsten Turnblad said the department added Alexandria “Alex” Boseley, a registered dietitian nutritionist, in mid‑September and launched an Instagram account, a newsletter and a refreshed Nutrislice menu app so students and families can view photos, nutrition facts and allergen icons. Turnblad said the department also rebranded its outreach as “Tonka Fresh.”

Turnblad described expanded menu offerings and student sampling events. New items introduced this year included chicken tikka masala, dumplings for Chinese New Year, sambusas, quinoa and brown rice sampling, an omelet bar (to be modified to a “Great Scrambler”), Nordic waffles and a burrito bowl. She said the district served more than 1,400,000 meals last year and that elementary lunch participation has increased by about 10 percent for the September–February year‑to‑date comparison with pre‑COVID 2018–19 figures; Turnblad cautioned that part of that rise is attributable to the current universal free meals program.

The department said it has used in‑school sampling, QR‑code surveys and student advisory participation to refine menus. Turnblad said jicama and sugar snap peas tested well and are now regular menu items, and that students in Clear Springs, Excelsior and Deep Haven elementaries helped design student choice menus that the district will debut districtwide in May. Turnblad also said a meatless interest group tested plant‑based items, including an Impossible burger, and that “kickin’” plant‑based patties will appear at middle and high schools after spring break.

On operations, executive director of finance and operations Mr. Bourgeois said Minnetonka’s nutrition fund has historically been self‑sustaining and noted the district avoided drawing on the general fund even during COVID. Turnblad described plans for a high‑school a la carte line called Campus Cuisine (a relabeled earlier service area), and said the district’s food truck is being refurbished and will operate as an a la carte line at the high school late in the current year with plans to expand next year. She described packaged “bento” options already created for a la carte use and said the team is preparing standard operating procedures for assembly.

Board members praised the outreach and asked to be notified when student‑designed menus debut so they can visit. One board member noted the district’s carb‑count and allergen filtering tools in Nutrislice will be useful for students with diabetes and other dietary needs. Bourgeois praised Turnblad’s leadership — by metaphor — saying she is “the Caitlin Clark of nutrition services directors,” to underscore his view of her visibility and positive impact on the program.

Turnblad closed by thanking staff and volunteers who have supported sampling and advisory work and asked board members to provide continued feedback on piloted items. The administration did not present any formal request for additional funding during the update.