The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is set to begin the new school year with a range of new menu items, many of which were developed with direct student contributions and feature ingredients sourced from local farms. The district announced the updated offerings as students prepare to return to classes.
New dishes include chicken pozole, butter chicken with kachumber salad, lasagna rolls, pork katsu sandwich, and vegan blueberry muffins. These additions reflect a broader effort by the district to incorporate student preferences and cultural diversity into school meals.
Students, parents, and LAUSD officials participated in a tasting event at West Adams Preparatory High School. During the event, students sampled fresh California-grown fruits and vegetables through the district's Farm to School Farmer’s Harvest program. Daniel Sandoval, who led the student culinary team for the butter chicken and kachumber salad dish, stated their goal was to "represent everybody in our culture and make delicious food," highlighting the use of traditional Indian spices like turmeric and curry spice.
LAUSD Superintendent Andres E. Chait noted the significant evolution of school meals over the past few decades, emphasizing the district's partnerships with local growers. "Our second brain is our gut, so if we’re feeding our kids well they can learn better and they’ll be in school more often," Chait said. He expressed surprise at the inclusion of traditional dishes like pozole on the menu, remarking that it would have been unimaginable 30 years prior.
LAUSD serves approximately half a million students daily, providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The district stated that by actively listening to students and collaborating with California farmers, they are enhancing the nutritional quality and appeal of meals served in schools.