Seminole County Schools take student lunches to the next level
A pizzeria, The Roost, a Mexican Grill, and Asian cuisine. These are not the food options at the mall or the airport near you.
These are the tasty offerings at some schools in Seminole County Public Schools. Instead of one long counter serving food, they have various counters to choose from — now called micro-restaurant concepts.
All dishes meet federal nutritional standards. No doubt such variety would make any student speed through study hall to get to the food hall.
Long gone are the days of a bland chicken dish or rectangular pizza, with orange grease dripping from the bottom. For the 2024-2025 school year, students have a cornucopia of options, including meatless dishes.
“By having a good presentation, they get excited about the foods that we have,” Kari Brown, coordinator of food and wellness with SCPS’s Red Apple Dinning, said.
Nutrition and food services/culinary managers for SCPS have gone under a rebranding, now called Red Apple Dining. Why the change? “It’s all about evolution,” Richard Miles, Assistant Director with Red Apple Dining, said.
Lyman High School and Lake Mary High School are among schools that have gotten major upgrades.
Culinary staff prepare up to three dishes for breakfast, and up to 17 dishes for lunch daily. During the school year, students can take part in taste test food groups to share their thoughts on certain dishes.
Seminole County Food Factoids:
- Lake Mary High School serves 50-70 pizzas a day!
- Each pizza has exactly 28 pieces of pepperoni. The pizza sauce is made in house.
- The hummus is made in house. Even the garlic is roasted at the schools.
- Most popular dish for lunch is pizza.
- SCPS has teamed up with Orlando-based Barnie’s Coffee & Tea Co, for a coffee concept offering gourmet sandwiches as well.
Students at Seminole County Public Schools get unlimited fruits and vegetables. Families who may want more information can visit https://diningservices.scps.us/.