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The Vashon Island School District is proud to serve nutritious food to our students. Each meal is made from scratch (even our salad dressings!) and we source as much as possible organic produce from local producers. We believe that healthy nutrition and understanding its role, plays a vital part in helping our students succeed both at school and in life. Each school day, the district provides breakfast and lunch options at all three schools.
At the helm of the district school kitchen is Lisa Cyra, a professionally trained chef who has owned her own catering company and worked in hotels as a pastry chef. Despite an impressive culinary resume, Lisa finds her role as the district’s Director of Food Service is by far the most satisfying position she’s ever held. “It’s all about good nutrition and good ingredients,” she says.
Cyra and her team of seven, that includes three other professional chefs, use extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and vegetables, low or nonfat dairy products, minimal sugar and salt, no high fructose corn syrup, lean meats, and whole wheat pizza dough. Each day, students enjoy fresh fruit and salad bar options, many of which come from island farms.
“We did away with French fries and all fried foods five years ago,” Cyra notes. “Instead, menus abound with flavorful, healthy options as chicken chile verde, pulled pork sandwiches, gyros with hummus and tzatkiki and there is always a vegetarian option each day.
“It’s been so rewarding to watch students become more adventurous eaters over the past few years,” she says. For example, a faculty member contributed an abundance of spaghetti squash from their home garden that the kitchen staff cooked up. “The kids ate all of it!” Cyra exclaimed.
Cyra cites Michelle Obama’s efforts to help reduce childhood obesity and raise nutritional standards for school lunches as having a positive impact on national USDA programs. “We abide by the standards that the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act established in 2010,” says Cyra. “Most of the time, we go beyond what’s required.” Their new kitchen in Vashon Island High School enables them to provide a healthy breakfast before school to both Chautauqua and McMurray students, and between periods to high school students.
The school district is reimbursed for meals purchased by students whose low-income parents qualify. In addition to updated meals standards, the USDA has also implemented standards for what they call Smart Snacks, which are sold at schools or in vending machines. “I like to think that our program helps students feel good and consequently they do well at school,” says Cyra, “and that’s the important thing.”
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