Community Corner
New Deli and Salad Station to be Unveiled at Marshall HS
Featuring salads, deli sandwiches and nutritious food options, "Statesman Station" is part of Fairfax County's effort to provide healthy lunches.
As part of Fairfax County's ongoing effort to make school cafeteria lunches healthier, Marshall High School in Falls Church will unveil its new salad and deli line at a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, Sept. 12 at 9 a.m.
"Since the school was recently renovated, we were able to put in a whole new deli area," said Penny McConnell, RDN and Director of the Food and Nutrition Program for Fairfax County Public Schools.
McConnell said there are four other schools in Fairfax County that have salad bars and grab-no-go stations, but this will be the first school to have "Statesman Station" - a separate deli and salad area.
"The chef has been working all summer coming up with simple dishes and testing them, which will be implemented throughout the school year," McConnell said.
Some of the new dishes they are testing include corn and black bean salad, quesadilla, yogurt parfaits, bbq chicken pizza, broccoli slaw, garbanzo bean salad and lemon couscous.
"Nothing goes on our menu unless it is tested by the students," McConnell said.
In 2012, the Fairfax County School Board designated funds for the pilot program as part of the school’s kitchen renovation. Input from students and community members was gathered as part of the renovation project. Students designed the logo and awning for the Statesman Station, and Energy Zone chefs from the FCPS office of food and nutrition services created some new menu offerings.
The pilot lunch program is designed to provide a colorful variety of nutritious options that meet the new federal Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act requirements. The Statesman Station will feature salads, deli sandwiches, and seasonal soups. If the program is successful at Marshall, similar offerings may be introduced at other high schools across Fairfax County.
McConnell said the county's nutrition task force has found ways to reduce artificial ingredients by 91 percent.
"Manufacturers prepare our foods and send them to us frozen. It is very hard to find products that do not contain artificial ingredients, but we work diligently at it," McConnell added.
