Philadelphia Public School Students Demand Better Lunches, More Say In Selection
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia public school students are demanding better food at lunchtime -- and they want more say over the companies that prepare their meals.
Sophomore Nadia Watson says her lunch at Kensington Business High School was not only unappealing -- it was unrecognizable.
"We had to ask them what it was."
Upon further review, "It was some darkish looking turkey with yams and stuffing."
She told the School Reform Commission last night that a lot of pre-plated school lunches get thrown out, and students head to the vending machines instead. Nadia and students from Youth United for Change want more fresh food instead of frozen, and they want a say in evaluating food vendors.
District food service director Wayne Grasela said the legal department was looking into that, but he says students can play a role. "When we are evaluating the products, there's a taste-testing component that was enlarged in the RFP evaluation process and we'd like to keep the students involved in that taste-testing process."
