Since March, new items have been rolled out in the PHS Brunch menu as part of ongoing efforts to expand food provided to students during brunch.
“[The items] are a trial to try new things as we set up for the brunch menu next year,” said PUSD Director of Nutrition Services Gitara Spinks.
Two items debuting as part of the trial were the chicken caesar salad wrap and pumpkin bread.
“I thought the pumpkin bread was pretty good,” said sophomore Casandra Colby
Another impressed student was freshman Ri’Chard Jones, who doesn’t get brunch very often, but waits in line for items like the new pumpkin bread.
Spinks said that recent increases in food service staffing will enable more menu expansions like the addition of pumpkin bread, in the future
“I want to try to get some different items [on the menu]. I have a lemon chicken with potatoes. When I think of breakfast or brunch, I think of something with potatoes. I would just like to get more variety,” Spinks said.
The 22-23 school year marked PUSD’s shift to the new national school lunch program, forcing the nutrition department to start from ground up with the menu. Spinks said that as time has gone on, it has become easier to add new and higher quality items that fit the standards set by the national school lunch program.
“[Last year] I didn’t have very much staff so [I had to source] pre-made things that fit the requirements like whole wheat flour. But now we have more staffing, training and sourcing of ingredients this year, so maybe next year we’ll really be able to ramp up and do some things,” Spinks said.
