NYC Council hears statements from students about rough meals

New York schoolchildren testified before the city council on Wednesday about unpopular dining options, with some students throwing their lunches in the trash.

The council raised concerns about the meals being served to students after images of less than appetizing dishes circulated on social media.

“I was served stale waffles and undercooked chicken nuggets and fries for breakfast,” one student testified.

“During the pandemic, students have been served ham and cheese sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches who, as a student who has eaten them before, know they can’t keep me energized throughout the school day.”

Other students testified that some meal choices did not meet their religious or dietary restrictions — and those are just the meals the kids actually put down.

“The bottom line is that we want all of our children to have access to fresh, nutritious, healthy food that is also appealing and tastes good, so they actually eat it and don’t throw it in the trash,” said Rita Joseph, Chair of the Board of Education.

Cafeteria staffing levels are recovering to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, DOE officials said.

Christopher Tricarico, senior executive director at the Office of Food and Nutrition Services, said there is room for improvement.

“My team, the department needs to do a little better job on the menu next September and you’ll see that it’s clearly stated on the menu so there’s no confusion about the options,” he said.

A council member asked Tricarico what officials could do to ensure the children actually eat what they are served. Tricario suggested that the directors could try turning off the food themselves.

“As the principal, I would go into the dining room and eat with my students,” he said. “I think if we start to get more into that and we bring the school administration, parents and students together and have the same conversation, we increase participation across the board.”

The hearing followed images and reports of menu options, including the Instagram account of an anonymous student focused on food at a Queens school.

The @bsgelunch account documented the food being served at the Baccalaureate School for Global Education, with a recent post showing “mushy” chicken tenders and a weak portion of fries.

“School lunch sucked this year and I can only dream next year will be better,” the post reads. “DOE, if you’re reading this, please bring back garlic bread.”