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Ahead of school’s first day on Monday, Perris’ new, cutting-edge food kitchen is preparing fresh meals for 20,000 students at Val Verde Unified School District.
The kitchen is revolutionizing the way districts provide healthy meals, said Chris Hutchinson, director of nutrition services.
“For the district, it’s a game changer,” Hutchinson said. “We didn’t have a production kitchen. We’ve always worked from the cafeteria.”
The district’s first facility has been in operation for three years.
Hutchinson said the production kitchen allows staff to prepare fresh, nutrient-rich meals, as meals are served within three weeks without preservatives. Staff are also monitoring sodium and sugar restrictions.
The 19,400-square-foot kitchen stocks premium equipment, packaging facilities, a slump freezer and walk inklers that do not have access to forklifts. Student dining options range from soups to pastries to pasta.
The site also serves as a test kitchen for new recipes, teaching students’ cooking skills for a healthier future.
“While our test kitchen has many purposes, one of the greatest things for students is that we can teach them here for cooking and nutrition,” Hutchinson said.
The new kitchen is now fully functional and serves all school sites in the district.
According to the 2020 School Nutrition and Food Cost Survey, students who ate at school had improved attendance, academic performance and overall health.
California’s 2024-25 budget includes a $1.8 billion proposal 98 General Fund and $2.7 billion in federal fund to provide students with $884 million in school lunches, according to the legal analyst’s office.
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