'CAN I HAVE FRIES WITH THAT?': THE FAST FOOD GENERATION IS HAVING LUNCH ITS WAY IN SCHOOL CAFETERIAS

School lunches are not what they used to be.

The meat, potatoes, green beans and bread that have been standard fare for the past 50 years are all but gone from many menus.

Today's federal government guidelines emphasize low-fat fruits, vegetables and grains over the heartier meat and potatoes. And students want quick and easy meals that resemble those from their favorite fast food restaurants.

So, what's a cafeteria manager to do? According to Barb Pinkley and Nancy Niswonger, you adjust and just try to keep the kids happy.

"A long time ago, kids liked meat loaf and things, but now it seems they really want fast food," said Niswonger, cafeteria manager at Trinity Lutheran School. "It seems like sometimes the easier the meal the more they like them."

Often, students request an item by a trademarked name rather than the general name.

"If they come through the line and I've got chicken nuggets, they say they want Chicken McNuggets because they're used to that at McDonalds," she said.

At Louis J. Schulz School, Pinkley said her students have a sweet tooth. "Anything sweet: Jello, pudding, cinnamon rolls -- they like it all," she said.

Pinkley said students at Schultz seem to look forward to the once-a-month treat of stuffed crust pizza more than any other entree. However, they are an eclectic bunch who also enjoy deli sandwiches, raw vegetables and mashed potatoes, she said.

"I haven't found anything they absolutely don't like," Pinkley said. "It's a guessing game each year what they'll like."

Niswonger said her students favor spaghetti, crispitos, pizza and bologna-and-cheese sandwiches above other entrees. Fresh vegetables also are popular, but students "are not big on mixed vegetables," she said.

The two schools have different approaches to their menus.

At Trinity Lutheran, students pay monthly for their meals and are allowed to come back for seconds. The number of students making return trips to the line indicate that the cooks are doing something right, said Niswonger.

"They'll say 'ugh' when you mention cafeteria food, but if you watch the line for seconds you'll see it's stretched pretty far back," she said.

At Schultz, students are encountering a buffet-style menu for the first time. Students may select three to five items for their meals, which allows them the freedom to choose foods they prefer to eat.

"It's the first time they get to choose their foods, and they think that's kind of cool," said Schultz principal Rob Huff.

Pinkley said cafeteria managers must continually try out new recipes to determine what students will or won't eat. Tastes change with each group of students, and the hamburgers so popular last year just won't cut it for the pizza lovers, she said.

"You get used to their likes and dislikes, and then they're gone," Pinkley said. "The best you can do is keep throwing new recipes at them and pass along what you know to the junior high so you can prepare them."