Healthy Meals Coming from New School Cafeteria

With funds from a taxpayer approved bond measure, Santa Barbara High School students now have a new cafeteria kitchen. Thousands of meals each week will be prepared there. The old cafeteria kitchen closed seven years ago due to several problems with the building and equipment.At the ribbon cutting event Principal John Becchio said, “we are ecstatic to have our grand opening of the Santa Barbara High cafeteria.””It’s a shining example of tax dollars at work,” said Superintendent Dave Cash. Funding came from a voter approved bond measure that specifically upgrades older, and deteriorating campuses. There is also a teaching area for culinary courses, that may help some students find a new career. “This is a great place for them to see themselves outside of Santa Barbara High, doing something in their own community,” said Cash. The reconstruction also included a new dining area for faculty members.The meals prepared in this cafeteria could be the healthiest some of the students will eat each day. The menu items from pizza, to burritos are made by hand from scratch. The grass-fed beef is from a Buellton ranch, and the district specifically sought a local, healthy option for the student meals.”It’s so fabulous. I just can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be in this kitchen, cooking from scratch, all organic. We’re very blessed,” said kitchen worker Katherine DeMille.Nutrition Specialist Nancy Weiss says, by making food from scratch, costs are down. “Believe it or not when you make macaroni and cheese instead of buying it frozen from Stouffers you actually save money. Along with making your own beans that are dry and you soak them and cook them, that’s what scratch cooking is,” said Weiss. KEY News Senior Reporter John Palminteri has the story.