Students who attend Nicholson Elementary will now be the recipients of healthier meals during the school day.
The Picayune School District recently received an $18,000 grant from the Bower Foundation, which was applied toward the purchase of a Combi Oven Steamer. The school district was responsible for the matching funds, Picayune School District Food Service Director Debbie Byrd said.
The steamer replaces the cafeteria’s deep fat fryers, Byrd said. Three years ago, the district applied for grants to replace the fryers at Picayune Junior High, Westside and Roseland Park Elementary. The only school left without a steamer is the high school and Byrd said they plan to apply for a grant in the near future.
“The Bower Foundation was founded in 1996 and is focused on the development of strategies to improve the health of Mississippians,” Byrd said. “Bower has made the development of healthy lifestyles for Mississippi children a core priority.”
About seven years ago, the USDA mandated the removal of fryers from school kitchens, Byrd said. However, the funding wasn’t available at that time.
“These grants are good and are accepted based on free and reduced lunch percentages,” she said. “This school year all students in the district eat free.”
Byrd said the combi oven uses super heated steam to cook food with less fat, saturated fat and trans fat.
Nicholson Elementary Cafeteria Manager Anita Jones said everything that normally was fried now gets cooked in the oven.
“It’s like a fryer, but without the grease,” Jones said. “It’s a lot healthier for the students and that’s the main thing.”
Jones said the steamer is programmed like a computer. The screen features a menu where staff press a picture of what they are cooking, she said.
The steamer not only beeps when ready, but also plays the song “The Revelry,” Jones said.
There is also less maintenance attached to the oven because it is self-cleaning, Jones said.
All cafeteria staff have undergone two training sessions to learn how to use the new equipment and to cover the preparation of food, Byrd said.
“School meals are one of the most important ways to ensure that children are fit, healthy and ready to succeed,” Byrd said. “The new steamers allow schools to serve nutritious and appealing foods for our students. The students have been very receptive of the change.”