Galt district nutrition supervisor outlines shift to scratch cooking, menu changes and equipment upgrades

The Galt Joint Union Elementary School District's food and nutrition supervisor presented a midyear progress report highlighting a shift to scratch cooking, student taste testing and new kitchen equipment funded from the cafeteria enterprise fund.

Nick, identified in the meeting as the district’s food‑nutrition supervisor, said the department feeds roughly 2,200 lunches and 700 breakfasts daily and is pursuing 'student‑approved recipes' to reduce waste. He described investments in equipment — combi ovens, a dough sheeter and energy‑efficient dishwashers — and said menu changes will include build‑your‑own breakfast bars, varied weekly breakfast themes and a scratch 'Rise and Shine' breakfast pizza.

"If it doesn't look right…we're gonna do something else," Nick said, explaining the team conducted taste tests and student feedback guided recipe development. He added the department uses Fund 13 — a separate cafeteria fund — for those expenditures and is not drawing from the district general fund.

Nick also described staffing, training, and external partnerships (Chef Anne Fellowship capstone work and coordination with the high‑school district for menu continuity). He reported a student taste‑test sample in which about two‑thirds of students liked a menu item, 28% wanted changes to a component and about 5% disliked it outright.

The board and commenters praised the engagement with students and the focus on healthier offerings. No policy or budget action was taken during the presentation; staff said ongoing grant and reimbursement sources support most upgrades.

Next steps include continuing recipe development, expanding equipment replication across sites and rolling out a revised breakfast menu next school year.