Food & Nutrition Services Department celebrates cheesy victory

Colonial School District’s Food & Nutrition Services Department has received a first-place award in the K-12 How Do You Crunch? Contest sponsored by Kellanova Away from Home, thanks to the tastiness of its scratch-made chicken tender recipe and community votes. 

As a reward, the district’s recipe will be featured on the Kellanova Away from Home K-12 webpage, and the department has received a case of Cheez-Its to use in future meals, along with Cheez-It merchandise such as socks, sweatshirts and hats. 

For the contest, the Food & Nutrition Services Department had to come up with an original recipe using Cheez-It whole-grain crackers as a primary ingredient. Judges selected five finalists based on creativity and concept to advance to public voting. After the voting period concluded, one grand prize winner was selected and the remaining four finalists received first-place awards. Colonial submitted its original recipe for Cheesy Cheez-It chicken tenders and encouraged people to vote earlier this fall via a social media campaign.

The Food & Nutrition Services Department makes many efforts to secure federal and state grants and participate in contests as part of its efforts to source scratch-cooked, local foods for school meals. Earlier this year, the team won a $4,000 grant to implement healthy meals through the Institute for Child Nutrition and the Culinary Training Academy. The team has also been awarded funds to purchase new equipment such as immersion blenders for making smoothies.