Local students, parents and principals got to be taste testers for an afternoon. They gathered at the Gaston County Schools’ nutrition department in Lowell Thursday to sample food for free.
After tasting foods ranging from lasagna to maple syrup-filled pastries, participants filled out surveys. The results will help determine what’s on the menu for next year’s school breakfast and lunch. More than 20 food manufacturers prepared and offered samples.
Seen, heard and tasted:
Strangest bedfellows: Tangerine chicken beside sweet potato swirl rolls: Some foods look odd side-by-side on a serving line. Cohen Foods of Marietta, Ga., lined up the gastro-cafe-worthy fare.
Tasters didn’t mind the odd couple. And each dish seemed equally popular, whether tasters were in the mood for Asian cuisine or a healthy take on a snack dessert. Never fear, taste buds. You won’t see these served together on a lunchroom tray.
Most colorful: Switch drinks: Brightly colored aluminum cans held carbonated juice that was nearly as vibrant. The 8-ounce drinks are sugar-free, echoing the theme of healthier (if not altogether nutritional) choices that was prevalent among school-food makers.
What’s in a name? Step right up to take a bite of “Wild Mike’s Ultimate Pizza.” The crust is whole-wheat but avoids the out-and-out “good for you” label by filling that crust with cheese. Pretty clever, Wild Mike.
Surprise, surprise: It looks like a burger. But it’s breakfast — a sausage patty sandwiched between two pancakes.