ACHS Offers Healthy Meal Options at Nature's Cafe

In keeping with this month’s National Nutrition Month’s theme of “fuel for the future,” Nature’s Cafe in Alexandria City High School (ACHS) offers a menu with sustainability in mind. After a soft rollout, students agree the food is tasty too. "I'm eating this every day from now on,” is just one of the comments Executive Chef School Nutrition Services Jason Tepper received. Other students said, “Where has this been all my life?”

Tepper says the cafe offers fresh ingredients, starting with whole grain components like quinoa. Students can then select among items that include lettuce greens, homemade hummus, mozzarella cheese, braised beets, edamame beans, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, dried cranberries and more. Dressings are flavorful and include homemade balsamic or pomegranate vinaigrette.

The idea of plant-forward offerings is not new for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). However, Nature’s Cafe presents an opportunity to highlight only plant-forward options. The cafe concept was developed last fall as a result of the collaborative efforts among the division’s School Nutrition Services (SNS) team and was named by Registered Nutritionist/Dietician Gina Green.

“It’s a win for everyone when we serve our students the freshest, healthiest meals of their day at school,” Tepper said.

SNS is planning to roll out the Nature’s Cafe concept at other ACPS secondary schools in the next academic year. Tepper says providing quality items and healthy options for all division schools is a priority. “We’d also like to further educate our community of students and their families about the benefits of plant-forward living, how it helps to improve our carbon footprint and is a proven way to improve the health of our planet.”

Tepper realizes a burger and fries or pizza will always be popular menu items. He also is quick to point out that when students are given healthier food choices they are open to sampling the items and often make the shift to the healthy options. Tepper believes that if food is tasty and presented in an appealing way, students will eat meals they otherwise may not. “When there is some education about the benefits of healthy eating habits mixed in, this is the recipe for success.”

Reflecting on the National Nutrition Month theme of “fuel for the future,” Tepper leaves us with some food for thought. “This is the only planet Earth we have, this is the only life we have. Let’s season it right and ensure our future generations and our lives can thrive.”