Rdale students help shape the school menu—one bite at a time

The verdict came quickly.

“The honey sriracha chicken taco is amazing,” said Armstrong High School senior Abdi Bootaan after taking a bite. “That one needs to be on the menu.”

Around him, a group of students debated the merits of dill pickle grilled cheese, sampled Nepalese dumplings dipped in coconut curry sauce and compared notes on whether a retro pizza burger deserved a place in the school lunch lineup.

It wasn’t just lunchtime at Armstrong High School—it was a taste test.

On March 4, Robbinsdale Area Schools’ (Rdale) Nutrition Services team invited 25 students to sample and evaluate six potential menu items as part of the district’s ongoing effort to keep school meals healthy, exciting and reflective of student tastes.

For the Nutrition Services team, these taste tests are more than a fun activity. They’re an important part of how menus are built.

Rdale serves roughly 7,000 lunches every day, including more than 11,000 servings of fruits and vegetables across the district. Through Minnesota’s Free School Meals Program, every student can receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day.

Behind those meals is a team constantly experimenting with new ideas.

“School meals today involve a lot of thought and collaboration,” said Brianna Smith, Assistant Director of Nutrition Services. “Our team of registered dietitians and culinary professionals is always working on developing new recipes and bringing in flavors that reflect the diversity and interests of our students.”

The team also looks for opportunities to introduce culturally relevant foods, such as sambusas, and incorporate locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

But before any new item makes it onto menus across the district, students get the first say.

During taste test sessions, students evaluate dishes based on flavor, texture, appearance and whether they would actually choose the item at lunch. 

“It also gives us the opportunity to connect with students in person and hear directly from them about what they enjoy and what they’d like to see more of on the menu,” Smith said. “These sessions help us test new ideas—from global flavors to tried and true classics to see what resonates.”

At the Armstrong event, students sampled:

• Cuban grilled cheese
• Dill pickle grilled cheese
• Momo (a Nepalese dumpling) with coconut curry sauce
• Lemon berry oatmeal bar
• Honey sriracha chicken taco with cilantro lime slaw
• Retro pizza burger

For many students, the chance to help influence future lunch menus made the experience even better.

“I loved this,” shared ninth grader Vicky Mendoza Gonzalez. “I’m really happy to hear that they’re trying to reach out to the younger audience and get our opinion on everything.”

Junior Kylee Raeker agreed.

“I liked that we were able to try different types of foods, and we were able to experience a lot of different textures and tastes that we aren’t normally inclined to try,” she said. “I liked that they let us share ideas and they actually listened.”

Even when a dish wasn’t a personal favorite, students appreciated the effort to expand the menu.

“Even for the one that I wasn’t a huge fan of, it felt like they were genuinely trying to expand the palate of students,” Bootaan said. “It was experimenting with new cultures and cuisines—for example, the momo with the coconut curry sauce—that’s a cool, creative swing.”

After each taste test, Nutrition Services staff review student feedback and evaluations to see what items went over well and which ones didn’t. Adjustments are made as needed, with student voice guiding which new foods make it onto the school menus.

Designing a school menu, Smith says, is a bit like solving a puzzle.

Every meal is required to meet federal nutritional standards—including calorie and fat ranges, sodium limits, whole grain requirements, and vegetable variety—while also staying within budget and being practical to prepare in large quantities. At the same time, the team wants the food served at Rdale schools to feel exciting and relevant to the students. 

“Balancing nutrition standards, operational realities, and evolving student preferences can be challenging,” Smith said. “But it’s also what keeps our menus improving.”

And none of it would be possible without the staff who make school meals happen every day.

“None of this would happen without the amazing Nutrition Services staff in our school kitchens,” Smith said. “They’re the ones preparing meals every day and serving students directly. Hearing students' feedback and seeing what they enjoy helps us continue improving the meals we serve and ensures our menus reflect the students and community we support.”