CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1474766
34 August 2022 Food for thought As the importance of child nutrition has evolved, 'lunch ladies' bring valuable lessons to the table BY BOBBY PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY WOOTEN FEATURE T he job of feeding schoolchildren has changed with the times, but the goals have remained essentially the same: Healthy meals, satisfied appetites, and a friendly face ladling the soup. e "lunch ladies" of the past are now child nutritionists, but they still know what kids like to eat. "It's not just a job; it's a passion," says Amanda Mooney, nutrition services manager at Alderman Road Elementary School. "ey need this meal." Mooney says "that little lady waving the spatula" and telling you to clean your plate is the wrong image for today's nutrition staff. "at's not us," Mooney says. Mooney, who joined the nutrition staff straight out of high school and is now headed for supervisor training, loves connecting with the students. "It's rewarding to every day see kids come through the line," she says. "I like the babies the best. You can relate. And just to get their reaction — they're excited to see you." It's a feeling that Teresa Huff shares. "I have seen these babies from elementary to senior years," says Huff, manager of nutrition services at Douglas Byrd High School and Massey Hill Classical High School. "From the time they can't look over the serving counter until they're taller than you are. Kids remember the cafeteria staff; we're all helpers." Huff says the students get to know her staff and identify them as "the main dish" — the cook whose specialty is the lasagna, the chicken-and-rice casserole, or the pizza that is a particular student's favorite. Menus are planned countywide in the Cumberland County Schools district. But Huff says the nutrition staff offers occasional food tastings to get student feedback. From left, Teresa Huff, Amanda Mooney and Tracy Smith, child nutrition managers for Cumberland County Schools, say it's important to connect with students while encouraging them to eat a healthy diet.