With the recent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding freeze and growing concerns about food insecurity in the news, CNS sat down with Emily Murphy and Jen Tuttelman, Director and Assistant Director of Needham Public Schools (NPS) Nutrition Services, to learn more about how the schools feed our students. As both women are dieticians, they bring their passion for children’s health and nutrition to their roles at NPS. They discussed many of the ways the Nutrition Services Department supports our students and our larger community through their food, education, and sustainability efforts.
NPS Nutrition Services Department
- The Nutrition Services Department has 48 staff in the department, including administration, chefs, a baker, and cafeteria staff.
- All department expenses are covered by the revenue brought in from school breakfasts and lunches (primarily from state and federal reimbursements).
- Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch may be eligible for funding support for transportation, athletics, fee-based extracurriculars, and other benefits. Even though Massachusetts now provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, families who may qualify for free and reduced lunch are still encouraged to apply for aid so they can obtain other benefits beyond nutrition support. More information about eligibility and how to apply can be found on the Nutrition Services website.
Community Service
- Prior to the SNAP funding freeze, Nutrition Services reached out to all the families receiving free and reduced lunch services to provide support and share information and local resources for families in Needham and Boston. They donated additional food to the Needham Community Council to support their food pantry.
- NPS Nutrition Services has, for years, regularly donated food to the Needham Community Council and the Needham Senior Center.
- While there are strict Board of Health restrictions on what can be donated, Nutrition Services passes on as much unused food as possible to try to minimize food waste, especially before weekends and school vacations.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for ALL Students
Needham Public Schools provide free breakfast and lunch for all students who wish to partake, including unlimited servings of daily fruits and vegetables. Additional snacks and double meals are also available for purchase.
- The Nutrition Services Department focuses on feeding students fresh healthy meals that they will enjoy.
- Food safety is a priority both in terms of preventing food-borne illness through safe storage and preparation, as well as providing allergen-free foods for students with food allergies.
- They try to source ingredients locally and get much of their seasonal produce from Silverwood Farms in Sherborn, MA. They also source sauces, fish, and produce from other local vendors.
- Raw/fresh products that are prepared on site are often cheaper than processed foods and are generally healthier as well.
- At the high school, breakfast is available until 10:00 AM in the cafeteria and there is a vending machine of grab-and-go items to support busy students.
Department Goals
- Expand students’ “Food Literacy” by helping them learn:
- Where does your food come from?
- What are healthy eating habits?
- What makes a balanced meal?
- Food waste awareness (it is better to take a smaller initial portion and then go back for seconds than to overfill your tray with more than you can eat)
- Sustainability Efforts
- The department is always looking for ways to cut down on food and material waste
- Disposable lunch trays were the biggest contributor to single use waste, so the department now uses reusable metal trays that are washed after each use.
- They now purchase some items in bulk (e.g., maple syrup and ketchup) and use large dispensers instead of single-use packaging.
- Multicultural Meals
- The department enjoys providing authentic meals from different cultures to help broaden students’ palates.
- Using holidays or other cultural events as inspiration, the department has developed some new meals (ex: Tandoori Chicken served on Diwali)
- They welcome suggestions of new foods to try from students, staff and families
- Community outreach
- Monthly newsletter provides recipes and an opportunity to provide parent feedback
- Plan to have “taste tests” where students can try out new meal ideas and provide feedback.