This was BVSD's eleventh year of running the junior Iron Chef competition, in which middle school teams submit original recipes using the same parameters that we use in our production kitchen, with the winning dish going on the BVSD menu. This year’s theme was “Colorado Favorites” and we invited six finalist teams to participate in the Iron Chef Cook-Off on March 15th at Arapahoe Ridge High School. 

BVSD is thrilled at the passage of Proposition FF in November, which will provide free school meals to all Colorado school children beginning in the 2023-24 school year, through the Healthy School Meals for All Program. While details of the new program are still being developed, it’s important to note that until the program begins next school year, there is still a charge for school meals unless students qualify for reduced lunch prices. 

One third of food in the U.S. is wasted instead of being eaten. This is not only a disappointing waste of resources, but once it reaches a landfill, food waste is also significant contributor to greenhouse gases. "Food waste is a really big problem. Every day Americans waste enough food to fill more than a football stadium," says Annalise Myatt, BVSD student and former member of the Food Waste Club at Douglass Elementary. "We could do a lot better."

School districts have the opportunity to make significant strides to reduce food waste in school cafeterias while also creating learning opportunities to inform food waste prevention practices that students can carry with them throughout their life. Boulder Valley School District's Food Services department, has tackled food waste reduction and student education through creative collaborations with multiple partners.