Category Archives: Nutrition Services

Blueberry boot camp may lead to new cafeteria choices

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Future HISD students could be seeing more dishes incorporating blueberries in their school cafeteria menus, after HISD Nutrition Services Dietitian Kasandra Davis attended a summer blueberry boot camp in Napa Valley, California.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council held the conference at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus July 18–20, and only 16 school districts were invited to participate.

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HISD Dietitians Attend National Conference

Attendees share best practices for schools’ meal program

Dietitians and school-district representatives from around the U.S. attended the 69th Annual National Conference of the School Nutrition Association in Salt Lake City, Utah. HISD Dietitian Amanda Oceguera, along with several Nutrition Services employees, represented the district. The conference covered many aspects of school food services, from vendors to school menus to meal recipes.

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Nutrition Services offers up new menu options for 2015-2016 school year

HISD Nutrition Services dietitians and chefs worked over the summer to perfect the new recipes to provide their primary customers with healthy and delicious meals.

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HISD receives Platinum Pear award from Dept. of Agriculture

(Houston Independent School District)

Dietitian Manager Amanda Oceguera accepts a Platinum Pear award for Nutrition Services’ efforts to serve locally-sourced foods.

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) honored HISD Nutrition Services this year with its Platinum Pear Award.

TDA challenged Texas schools to include three local products on their menus during the 2015 School Breakfast Week. Nutrition Services met the challenge by serving locally sourced cinnamon toast, low-fat milk, and apple juice March 2–6.

Nutrition Services Senior Administrator Audene Chung stated that one of the department’s goals is to support Texas farmers. “Our department buys locally-sourced products to bring the freshest products to our students,” she said.

TDA’s Growing Healthy Texans awards were distributed during the Texas Association for School Nutrition’s annual conference in Grapevine, Texas.

Employees honored for promoting a culture of Service Excellence in HISD

In a special luncheon Tuesday, nine employees from across different Business Operations departments were honored for their work in promoting a culture of Service Excellence within HISD.

The event follows a year of trainings held by the nine employees to introduce the mission and standards of Service Excellence to their fellow employees. In all, more than 5,270 people have been trained in Service Excellence since the initiative launched in April.

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Westside HS wins national ‘Cooking Up Change’ competition

Westside HS students Jalien Noel, Jose Acosta, and Briseida Salas hoist the trophy in victory with Chef Reggie Martin and Ray Danilowicz

Westside HS students Jalien Noel, Jose Acosta, and Briseida Salas hoist the trophy in victory with Chef Reggie Martin and Ray Danilowicz

When the heat was turned up, the Westside High School’s Culinary Arts Program team stayed cool under pressure, taking home first place at the Cooking Up Change National Finals on Monday in Washington, D.C.

Students Jose Acosta, Jalien Noel, and Briseida Salas, working under the direction of Westside Chef Reggie Martin, wowed the judges with a menu that highlighted different flavors from the Bayou City: cowboy Cajun chicken lollipop, twisted Texas cabbage and collard greens, and a pineapple tart.

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Service Excellence Employees of the Month for June honored

Five HISD employees were recognized as June’s Employee of the month for Service Excellence at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Tuesday morning during a special breakfast with Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla. Continue reading →

Nutrition Services partners with high-school transition coaches to build students’ job skills

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Waltrip High School students work at Garden Oaks Montessori with their transition coach and the Garden Oaks cafeteria team lead.

Through HISD’s Community Based Vocational Instruction (CBVI) program, high-school students can go into local businesses for a couple hours a day, a few of times a week, to develop their workplace skills through on-the-job training.

For the first time this year, HISD’s Nutrition Services department is one of the partnering organizations, and it is working with two or three students from each of five high schools: Lee, Madison, Scarborough, Sharpstown, and Waltrip. Participating students learn about the food service industry by working in school cafeterias, performing tasks such as washing dishes or serving fruit.

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HISD to offer free summer meals at more than 200 schools

The Houston Independent School District is opening up more than 200 school cafeterias this summer to provide free breakfast and lunch to children in the community.

The Summer Meals Program, offered every year by HISD’s Nutrition Services Department, is designed to ensure all students have access to healthy meals — even when school isn’t in session. Continue reading →

Business Operations announces ‘Service Excellence’ Employees of the Month

Five HISD Business Operations employees were celebrated as Employees of the Month for May during the department’s breakfast with HISD’s Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla on Tuesday.

(From left to right): Roy Giles, Pat Sykes, HISD Sr. Business Analyst Priscilla Martinez, Kelvin Bryan, and Eusebio Silver.

(From left to right): Roy Giles, Pat Sykes, HISD Sr. Business Analyst Priscilla Martinez, Kelvin Bryan, and Eusebio Silver.

Every month, five individuals from the areas of Transportation, Police, Nutrition Services, Construction and Facilities Services, and Business Assistance are selected to attend “Breakfast with Leo.” The event serves as a way to recognize district employees who go above and beyond to provide exceptional customer service.

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