School Lunch Revolution

A chat with Chef Allison Sosna, Part II

“Sourcing local food just makes so much sense,” Allison Sosna explains, there is no reason not to do it—it’s there, fresh, and available. Working at local, sustainable mission-driven restaurants in the city, she realized that sustainable food didn’t have to be something for only people who can afford to eat out, it can be something for everyone. Fresh Start Catering, an enterprise of D.C. Central Kitchen, not only provides students at D.C. Charter Schools with good food, this is coupled with other initiatives such as starting school gardens and education programs to further the children’s knowledge on the subject. And during the winter? “A lot of sweet potatoes,” Allison says with a grin. Preparing produce to store is another tactic, “every big batch of tomatoes we get in is cooked into sauce” because it keeps for longer.

This journey is not without its challenges; one of the biggest hindrances’ is the cost involved with bringing this food to schools. Mitigation solutions are there, Allison explains, through a change in federal policy and subsidies when it comes to public schools. The other roadblock faced is the bureaucracy involved with the day-to-day decisions in the schools. To make these life-changing decisions for the children, all parties and powers need to be on board, which is a challenge when finances are such a delicate aspect of the schools’ livelihood.

Doing this on a small-scale, Allison explains, is incredible because you can see the changes, “the attendance rates are rising because kids are served breakfast and their attention is better in class.” She can walk around and talk to the students during their meal times, get feedback on the food they serve, and see first-hand the difference she makes in their days by providing a substantial meal. “The salad bar is the greatest,” she says, “the kids’ can’t have seconds, but they can go to the salad bar if they are still hungry and so they eat so many more vegetables that way.”

Not alone in her efforts, the hype is growing; thanks to the Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign and other internationally known chef’s jumping on board to change the way we eat. The country may just be beginning to realize the health, obesity, and environmental problems it faces with the current food system. However, the door has been thrown wide open for innovative solutions to change it. Making changes in the schools, Allison says proves that “we can do this at a small scale level—we are doing it on the small-scale,” we just need to bring it nation-wide and show the rest of the country they can do it too.