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East Porter County School Corp staff outline menu changes as USDA nutrition rules take effect
Summary
Food service staff told the board the district is implementing USDA nutrition changes—on whole grains, milk, added sugars and sodium—and is piloting scratch‑cooking and local sourcing with partners such as the Northwest Indiana Food Council and Janie's Mill.
Food service staff for East Porter County School Corp told the board on June 8 that recent U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition rules require menu changes and are driving local pilots in scratch cooking and sourcing.
Nicole O'Donnell, who said she was promoted to food service operation coordinator this year, described the regulatory timeline and what it means for breakfasts and lunches. "The ruling changes that we can offer whole milk," O'Donnell said, and the district must limit added sugars and gradually reduce sodium under the USDA final rule issued in April 2024. She noted implementation timelines extend through the 2026–27 school year and that operational constraints—staffing, recipe approvals and labor intensity—shape what the district can adopt.
Why it matters: school meals are a primary source of nutrition for many students and the board heard staff emphasize both the health and practical implications of compliance. "We are the heartbeat of the school. You can't have school without a kitchen," O'Donnell said, describing classroom nutrition education and pilot tasting events as parts of the approach.
Staff described partnerships with the Northwest Indiana Food Council, Region Roots and Janie's Mill to trial locally produced grains and recipes. Mandy Pendleton, a long‑time cafeteria worker, and Nikita Cassenn, who works at the Morgan cafeteria, said scratch‑cooking training made recipes more feasible and produced more flavorful results in testing. Pendleton said several menu items tested well with students and advocated incremental classroom education so children learn to prefer fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Board members asked about practical limits. Staff said a dietitian must approve every new recipe to ensure weekly standards are met and that scratch cooking requires additional staff time. The presentation outlined possible replacements for common breakfast and lunch offerings—egg-and-cheese items, whole‑grain biscuits, bean burgers and fish tacos—as alternatives staff could trial to reduce added sugars and sodium while preserving student acceptance.
Next steps: staff will pilot recipes, pursue additional scratch‑cooking training supported by a recent grant, and seek board support for staffing or training resources needed to scale efforts. The board thanked the food‑service team for the presentation and their work toward healthier menus.
