For many EPHS students, lunch is the most awaited part of the school day. Students fill the commons to chat and eat, relishing in a break from their classes. EPHS even advertises an in-house kitchen, complete with a crew of tirelessly-working staff, to bring meals fresh to its students. But whispers have sprung up about the quality and acquisition of our school food, prompting the question: what really goes on behind the scenes in our famous kitchens?

Director of Food Services Brenda Boehm answers: “We’re contracted with a couple of broadline suppliers, where they bring us our food. And we ordered through them to bring us everything from Bosco sticks to the oats that the bakery uses to make bread.” Broadline Suppliers,companies that handle large quantities of goods,are usually utilized by big businesses or food service chains. These suppliers are the most common type of food distributors in the US. EPHS is contracted with multiple suppliers to provide a wide range of food to students, as  Boehm continues: “We do also get some products locally. Specifically apples, which we get from a place called Bayfield Farms in Bayfield, Wisconsin, and those get just delivered to us once a week.” Milk is also frequently supplied to the school via these distributors. A high percentage of the foods are made in-house for students to enjoy, courtesy of EPHS’ on-site bakery and production kitchen, popular examples being sauce, pasta noodles, and soup. Many of these foods are also distributed to other schools, such as CMS and various elementary schools. 

EPHS has a high commitment to providing students with healthy, nutritious food, says Food Service Worker Melania Amundson: “We encourage kids to make healthy choices by having a variety of foods available, and discourage waste by allowing them to choose what they want to eat.” Workers typically begin preparations for lunch in the morning, specifically 8:00 am to 10:30 am for CMS. This includes preparing both fresh and uncooked items for incoming students according to the schedule. 

Eden Prairie schools follow a five-week rotating meal cycle, which offers twenty unique days, seven or eight of which are completely produced by the high school. Menu items are also constantly evolving, such as the newly-introduced swedish meatballs over rice for several elementary schools. For students who aren’t totally satisfied with the lunch offerings, Boehm says Food Service staff are “going to be talking with some of the high school students and having an opportunity for them to get their voice out there and let us know what they’re looking for next year.” Depending on how these opportunities go, there could be significant changes in the EPHS’ food lineup for future students to enjoy. In the words of Amundson: “It all starts with the menu.”