School meals get a familiar upgrade in Muskegon County
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EmailMuskegon Area Intermediate School District partners with Michigan State University Extension SNAP-Ed to address cultural inclusivity in school meals.
Many Americans associate “school lunch” with foods like chicken nuggets and pizza, but what if schools served Korean beef bowls or chicken gumbo instead? Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD) food service is looking to change the perception of school meals along with Montague Area Public Schools, Groundwork Center, and Michigan State University Extension. In May 2024, MAISD were awarded a nearly $600,000 grant from the Partnerships of Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) and the Chef Ann Foundation to support their work. The goal of the project is to improve nutrition, food quality, and student health through local foods and homemade meals. They also hope to inspire student leaders through related programs. MSU Extension community nutrition instructor Aditi Kulkarni had the opportunity to partner with one such program, where she helped students learn about culturally relevant school menus.
While MAISD’s Career Tech Center teaches culinary students food preparation and cooking skills, it also teaches soft skills for working in the food industry, including food inclusivity. Aditi came to their classes to talk about what it means to be culturally inclusive and how schools might improve their menu to address this issue. Food inclusivity allows students of different ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds to have a positive experience during school meals. It also can lead to higher meal participation. Aditi spoke about the influence of her Indian culture on food and lead them through an activity to understand how the topic was important to them as a group. After learning from Aditi, students used their skills to compete for a menu spot. They created recipes featuring local brassicas, like kale and broccoli, and wrote a description of how their dish fits into cultural relevancy. One student adapted her father’s pasta salad recipe while others used flavors inspired by their upbringing. These dishes looked like what they enjoyed at home and reflected who they are. Other classes across the district had the opportunity to taste-test their recipes, ending in two winning dishes placed on the district’s menu.
Throughout the process, the students talked about what “culturally relevant meals” meant and how it could benefit their schools. In Aditi’s words, “[it was] more than serving nutritious food, but a way they can explore [new foods] without shame and stigma.” Muskegon County’s diverse population underscores the importance of this project. While serving food that reflects students’ lifestyle can help make the cafeteria a better place, Aditi and her partners hope they can also address areas such as the culture of the cafeteria and increase both student and food service staff voices.
There are many ways schools and other groups can incorporate the flavors of their communities. Like MAISD, source local ingredients and create new, responsive recipes. Meaningful holidays and heritage months might also be celebrated. Food inclusiveness can create an environment of belonging and even encourage positive eating habits. MSU Extension supports eligible partners to make healthy choices easy choices. Learn more about how to partner with a community nutrition instructor by contacting your local office or visiting MSU Extension online.
