041177 School Food for Thought

Bismarck, ND - With Bismarck schools having open campuses that allow students to leave the buildings whenever they want, many students spend their lunch periods racing to Taco Bell for a Gordita or McDonald's for a Big Mac. They scarf the food down so they can return to school in time to find a parking spot before class starts.

While school lunch doesn't usually conjure up visions of fine cuisine for most people, there are a few favorites that keep students out of the rat race for fast food and at school in the lunch line.

A Gear reporter talked to high school students and lunchroom cooks to find out what those favorites are.

"If I didn't have it here, they can go across the street. Every place is within walking distance," said Jolene Fettig, school cook. "But I do serve healthy alternatives."

There are four different types of cookies served before school and during lunch -- chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar and M&M. Each cookie is about 8 inches across and thin, but not thin enough to be crunchy.

"Everybody eats them," junior Ann Daltzer said. "They're warm and they're huge and they're good."

Cookies are popular at Century as well. The cookies at each school are made from scratch daily, but each school has different recipes for their cookies.

About 200 cookies are sold at BHS every day. The most popular is chocolate chip and M&M. Daltzer eats at least one cookie every day, and her favorite is M&M.

"When they're fresh baked, they're soft and the M&Ms get all over you," Daltzer said. "They make my day."

When breadsticks are served at Century, students refer to it as "breadstick day." Three to four breadsticks, almost a foot long and 4 inches wide, are served with marinara sauce for $1.

"You can feed two people with them," junior Cassie Hatsle said.

When breadsticks are being served, cooks said they see more than 390 students come through the ala carte line. Usually, the average number is about 170.

"Breadsticks are our biggest day," Fettig said.

They definitely keep students in school for lunch.

"I was going to go out for lunch today, but when I saw it was breadstick day, I had to stay," Hatsle said.

At St. Mary's, the most popular entree is Gary's meal. It contains egg rolls, rice, sweet and sour chicken, pineapple and a fortune cookie. It's served in the hot lunch line, which means like all hot lunch meals, it only costs $2.

The meal is called Gary's meal after a popular cook at the school. He is of Asian descent and says he makes the meal to remind him of home.

"It's cooked to perfection, and it tastes delicious," St. Mary's senior Amanda Cashman said.

While Gary's lunch is popular, it doesn't cause a dramatic spike in the number of students eating at St. Mary's like Century and Bismarck High see with breadstick day and cookies.

"It's a good day for everyone," Cashman said.

While students in Bismarck have their unique favorites, Mandan High School students go for the classics when it comes to lunch. Favorites include pizza, hot pockets and popcorn chicken. Junior Sean Hillard loves the popcorn chicken.

"It's crispy and white meat and a little bit spicy," he said.

The popcorn chicken costs $1.30, comes in a cardboard container and is served in the ala carte line.

Cooks at Mandan say meals such as pizza and chili are popular because students know what they are and what they're getting. About 500 students are served at MHS each day. On good days, almost half of the students stay at school for lunch.

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