School Days: Morgan Hill Unified School District
Evolution of a Lunch Program
By Morgan Hill Unified School District Staff
A
healthy, enjoyable and socially responsible
approach to food is the passion of Michael
Jochner, Director of Child Nutrition Services for
the Morgan Hill Unified School District. A gourmet
chef by profession, Jochner is introducing changes to the
school lunch program to achieve this goal in a way that
allows students to be part of the solution.
Michael has worked as a professional
chef in the Bay Area for over twenty
years. Previously, he managed
Bon Appetit as chef at the Google
corporate campus for seven years.
Prior to that he devoted 17 years as
chef with La Rinconada, Bistro Elan,
and 231 Ellsworth.
“I’m excited to be collaborating
with the district’s food service staff in
Michael Jochner
bringing a fresh approach to school
lunches. Our shared goal is to edu-
cate our students about healthy eating and environmental
sustainability at the same time.”
After carefully reviewing the lunch
program, Michael worked with district
staff to create an action plan to achieve
short-term improvements while
pursuing a longer-term goal.
“Our shared vision is to empower
our students to eat healthy and practice
environmental sustainability by allowing
them to be agents of change when it
comes to: building partnerships with
Patty Cattoor
local farms; scratch cooking; sampling
and testing of healthy food choices; and
sustainable food service product changes in the schools.
Michael teamed up with Patty Cattoor, the school
district’s Supervisor of Student Nutrition, to look at food
utensils, containers, and napkins and create a “farm fresh”
motif for food serving areas across school district campuses.
Knowing that selecting food items and utensils is the
student’s choice to make, they wanted to provide students
with choices that clearly benefit their personal health and
the health of the planet.
Historically, school lunch programs have provided
students with a “spork kit,” an all-in-one alternative
including a reusable plastic straw, a combination spoon-and-
fork utensil, and a napkin all wrapped in a sealed plastic
bag. Lots of these kits ended up in cafeteria trash bins. This
plasticware would persist in our landfills long after we are
gone if it weren’t for the fact that our school district has
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
begun substituting biodegradable products in its place.
We’ve begun providing biodegradable forks and spoons
from EcoProducts. These utensils are plant-based, made
from renewable sources, and USDA Certified Biobased,
which meets high standards as compostable products.
We’re also providing students with lunch napkins that
are smaller in size and made from 100% recycled paper.
The napkins we now provide meet Ecologo standards, are
certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and have a
certified Green Seal.
We no longer “package up” multiple items that
students may not need and would otherwise be more
likely to throw away.
When it comes to serving healthy lunches while
improving environmental sustainability, MHUSD is
making incremental changes for a lasting impact.
december 2018-january 2019
gmhtoday.com
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