The Trimble school district’s new cafeteria provider promises more healthy foods that students like
By: Kimberly Christa
Posted on:
TRIMBLE, Ohio (WOUB) — The Trimble school board recently approved a new food service contract that is expected to save the district money and offer healthier options for student lunches.
Nutrition Group will work with Trimble’s current food service staff while bringing in special help like chefs and dieticians on an as needed basis.
Rindock said his company is focused on not just providing food but also educating students about making healthy choices.
For example, Nutrition Group offers “Wellness Wednesdays” for elementary students. This happens once a month in the cafeterias and is an opportunity for students to be educated on why having certain fruits and vegetables with their lunch — for example, the legal requirement of serving some kind of legume every week — is important, as well as giving them chances to try new foods.
Rindock mentioned confetti bean salad, for example. “If they try it, they get a sticker that says, ‘I tried something new today.’ They get a handout with a coloring page on the back. But more importantly is the nutritional information, and also the recipe, so if they want to take it home. The goal is that when that child goes home, they have a sticker — mom, dad, somebody says, ‘Hey, you tried something new.'”
While offering healthier choices, Nutrition Group also wants to make sure students like what they’re eating, Rindock said. “Our goal is to offer as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible,” he said. “Our number one goal is when the child comes through, they take their meal, it ends up in their stomach and not in the garbage can.”
Rindock said one way they specialize the menus for specific schools is by holding youth advisory council meetings, and talking directly to students at each building and basing the menus off what students say they like.
Meal costs will range from around 95 cents for an elementary school lunch to around $2 to $3 for a high school lunch, Rindock said. He explained there are five components to a meal and students must take at least three for it to be a free meal.
For students who pack a lunch but still want a drink, snack bags will be offered with items like milk, a cheese stick and crackers, which makes up three components of the meal, so it would allow students to get a free drink and then take the other items home.
Kimberly Christa is a senior at Trimble High School who is interested in a career in journalism. She will be covering Trimble school board meetings for WOUB during the 2025-26 school year.