Education
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Food site gives it compliments to Gwinnett school system’s chefs

Fruit parfait is one of the dishes made by Gwinnett's school system. A publication recently honored Gwinnett for its efforts to improve its school meal offerings. PHOTO CREDIT: GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Fruit parfait is one of the dishes made by Gwinnett's school system. A publication recently honored Gwinnett for its efforts to improve its school meal offerings. PHOTO CREDIT: GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
By
Feb 10, 2017

A national food news site this week gave a shout out to Gwinnett County's school system for, yes, its school food program.

The outlet, Food Management, named Georgia’s largest school district its “K-12 Innovator of the Year” for a test kitchen concept it started last year called IDEA Centers. The centers, it says, have already improved its pizzas and smoothies.

Ken Yant, who is in charge of Gwinnett’s school nutrition program, told Food Management it has worked on improving food that students like and dropped some unpopular choices.

Food Management reports on non-commercial food service organizations, such as public schools, and how they can operate better.

Gwinnett officials noted in a report late last year a decline in recent years in the percentage of students eating school meals. Some officials blamed the federal government for rules they say have made school lunch less tasty by reducing sodium, fats and other flavor enhancers.

About the Author

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

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