BY: ASHLEY BIRO/THE NEWS JOURNAL

DATE: FEBRUARY 20, 2010

 

Students who don't eat meat now have more than cheese sandwiches and salads to choose from in the Appoquinimink School District.

 

Sophomore Lillian Wanjiku is excited about the vegetarian lunch option now offered every day at Appoquinimink High School.

 

"I'm not a vegetarian yet, but I only eat fish and chicken," Wanjiku said. "The program gives you a variety outside of the processed foods offered. You can have something unique and different, something healthier, something that you know will do something good for your body."

 

The vegetarian menu, established by the nutrition staff of the district, offers five options district-wide and is the first of its kind in the state.

 

Huida Russell, school nutrition program administrator, said Appoquinimink is the first district to not only market its vegetarian options, but also offer them throughout the district.

 

The first full week of the program was the first week of February. Janice Vander Decker, Appoquinimink's school nutrition director, said other school districts offer vegetarian meals but do not offer them district-wide.

 

"We wanted to do more than just offer salads; we wanted to offer more cold and hot options," she said.

 

Previously the vegetarian options were cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, salads and cheese pizza, said Florence Mills, the district's school nutrition technician.

 

Vander Decker said if the school offered a hot meal with meat, though, it also wanted to be able to offer a hot vegetarian meal.

 

The district also wanted to accommodate anyone whose culture or religion restricted the eating of meat.

 

Each day of the week boasts a different vegetarian option. On Mondays, cafeterias serve vegetarian chili; Tuesdays, vegetarian quesadilla; Wednesdays, fiesta salad with black beans and tortilla chips; Thursdays, vegetarian wraps; and Fridays, green apple, honey and cheddar cheese bagel sandwiches.

 

Appoquinimink High sophomore Savannah Haines said she is not a vegetarian but the new options caught her eye, and she was interested in trying something different.

 

"I like it because I think it gives everybody an opportunity to express themselves through food -- they can choose whether they want vegetarian or not," Haines said.

 

Rhonda Malin, the district's child nutrition coordinator, said some of the vegetarian recipes are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She said she also received ideas from attending informational sessions on eating vegetarian and vegan at the School Nutrition Association conference last year.

 

"They said the kids nowadays are looking for healthier things to eat, and certainly we as adults are trying to guide them that way," Malin said.

 

Wanjiku said she enjoys the variety and thinks it's very healthy.

 

"Vegetarian meals are healthier, and I feel that some meats today are so processed that they lose their nutrients. I feel like being vegetarian is a healthier choice," she said. "By making a healthier choice, I hope I can influence my friends to make a healthier choice, as well.”

 

Photograph 1:

Lauren Bondar (center), a freshman at Appoquinimink High School, goes vegetarian Friday. (The News Journal/JENNIFER CORBETT)

 

Photograph 2:

Lauren's choice was the bagel sandwich with fresh-cut apples, honey and cheddar cheese from the new vegetarian menu. (The News Journal/JENNIFER CORBETT)