It was tasty, it was filling, it was healthy.
That’s my capsule review of my lunch Tuesday at Knob Noster Middle School, which contracts its food service with OPAA — the same company that the Sedalia School District 200 Board of Education voted last week to contract with for its meals. I wanted to try OPAA’s food to get an idea of what our students would be served beginning in October, and the trip to Knob Noster gave me an excuse to catch up with Kristee Lorenz, who did great things in the Sedalia district before becoming Knob Noster’s assistant superintendent this school year.
kAm{@C6?K 2?5 x H6C6 ;@:?65 3J $FA6C:?E6?56?E y2C6E %@>=:?D@?[ H9@ 925 ?@E9:?8 3FE A@D:E:G6D E@ D2J 23@FE E96 DH:E49 :? |2J 7C@> :?\9@FD6 7@@5 D6CG:46 E@ ~!pp’D @776C:?8D] %@>=:?D@? D2:5 9:D 5:DEC:4E H2D A@DE:?8 =@DD6D @7 23@FE Sa__[___ 2 J62C @? 7@@5 D6CG:46 2?5 E96 DH:E49 E@ ~!pp :D AC@;64E65 E@ >@G6 E96> E@ 2=>@DE E96 3C62<\6G6? A@:?E]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ D2:5 y2?6E {2JE@?[ ~!pp’D 7@@5 D6CG:46 5:C64E@C 7@C E96 5:DEC:4E[ 92D 8@?6 E@ E96:C =@42= 72C>6C’D >2C<6E 2?5 3C@F89E :? 7C6D9[ =@42==J 8C@H? H2E6C>6=@? 2?5 42?E6=@FA6 E@ D6CG6 E@ DEF56?ED] r@>3:?65 H:E9 7656C2==J >2?52E65 A@CE:@? 4@?EC@=D E92E DEC6E49 7C@> 6?EC66 D:K6D E@ 9@H >F49 D2=25 5C6DD:?8 DEF56?ED 86E[ “%9:D H:== 96=A E6249 WDEF56?EDX 9@H E@ 62E H96? E96J =62G6 96C6[” %@>=:?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAmpD H6 H6?E E9C@F89 E96 =:?6[ {@C6?K @AE65 7@C E96 3FCC:E@ DFAC6>6 H:E9 A:4@ 56 82==@[ H9:=6 %@>=:?D@? 2?5 x 3@E9 49@D6 E96 pD:2? 49:4<6? HC2Aj 2=D@ 2G2:=23=6 2D A2CE @7 E96 6?EC66 49@:46D H6C6 D:56D @7 qq" 324@? 362?D[ 2 82C56? D2=25[ A:?62AA=6 49F?<D 2?5 @C2?86 D=:46D]k^Am
kAmq6:?8 ?6H E@ E96 AC@46DD[ x 5:5?’E C62=:K6 E92E E2<:?8 E96 6?EC66 >62?E x H2D?’E DFAA@D65 E@ 5:A :?E@ E96 D2=25 32C — 3FE D:?46 ?@ @?6 D2:5 2?JE9:?8[ x H6?E 29625 2?5 6?92?465 >J D>2== D2=25 H:E9 42CC@ED[ 42F=:7=@H6C[ 3=24< 362?D 2?5 C65 2?5 8C66? 36== A6AA6C A:646D] (6’== 492=< :E FA E@ C6D62C49]k^Am
kAm{@C6?K D2:5 E96 3FCC:E@ H2D BF:E6 8@@5[ 2?5 3@E9 D96 2?5 %@>=:?D@? AC2:D65 E96 qq" 362?Dj E96 pD:2? HC2A H2D DEF7765 H:E9 49:4<6?[ C65 2?5 8C66? 36== A6AA6C[ 4F4F>36C[ A:?62AA=6 2?5 2 5C6DD:?8 >256 @7 D@J D2F46 2?5 3C@H? DF82C[ 2== :?D:56 2 H9@=6 H962E E@CE:==2] x E9@F89E :E H2D C2E96C 8@@5[ 2?5 H2D D@>6E9:?8 E92E >:55=6 D49@@= E9C@F89 9:89 D49@@= DEF56?ED H@F=5 6?;@J]k^Am
kAm|J 6?92?465 D2=25 H2D 8C62E[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 C2DA36CCJ G:?2:8C6EE6 5C6DD:?8] p?5 E96 @C2?86D H6C6 7C6D9[ DH66E 2?5 ;F:4J]k^Am
kAmp?5C6 (:==:2>D[ `b[ 2? 6:89E9 8C256C[ C6>6>36CD H92E E96 7@@5 D6CG:46 H2D =:<6 367@C6 ~!pp H2D 3C@F89E :?]k^Am
kAm“x? A2DE J62CD[ E96 7@@5 H2D <:?5 @7 D2=EJ[” 96 D2:5] “%9:D E2DE6D 8@@5[ 2?5 x 766= 36EE6C 62E:?8 :E 3642FD6 x <?@H :E :D 8@@5 7@C >6]”k^Am
kAm%@ 72== :? =:?6 H:E9 E96 7656C2= ?FEC:E:@? 8F:56=:?6D[ z?@3 }@DE6C 92D 5C@AA65 EC25:E:@?2= 56DD6CED DF49 2D 42<6D 2?5 4@@<:6D[ H9:49 H6C6 3:8 9:ED H:E9 DEF56?ED 2?5 724F=EJ] qFE p?5C6 D2:5 E96 6G6C\AC6D6?E 7CF:E D6=64E:@?D “>2<6 FA 7@C E96 DH66E?6DD” E96J FD65 E@ 86E H:E9 E96 56DD6CED]k^Am
kAmy2J56? p==6?[ `b[ 2=D@ 2? 6:89E9 8C256C[ :D 2 G686E2C:2?[ D@ D96 92D 6?;@J65 92G:?8 E96 D2=25 32C 2G2:=23=6 6249 52J :?DE625 @7 49:4<6? ?F886ED 2?5 9@E 5@8D]k^Am
kAm“xE >2<6D :E 62DJ 7@C >6 E@ 62E 2?5 ?@E 92G6 E@ A24< 2 =F?49 2?5 9FDE=6 2E 9@>6 :? E96 >@C?:?8D[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~? E96 D2=25 32C[ =:<6 E96 5C6DD:?8D[ 2?J AC@E6:? @C 4966D6 :D A@CE:@? 4@?EC@==65[ 3FE DEF56?ED 42? 92G6 2D >F49 @7 E96 G686E23=6D 2D E96J H2?E] p?5 y2J56? D2:5 E96C6 2=H2JD :D 2 D@=:5 G2C:6EJ @7 @AE:@?D @? E96 32C D@ D96 5@6D?’E 766= =:<6 D96 :D 62E:?8 E96 D2>6 E9:?8 2== E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm$92C@? tD49=:>2?[ 2 72>:=J 2?5 4@?DF>6C D4:6?46D E62496C 2E E96 D49@@=[ =2>6?E65 D@>6E9:?8 E92E :D @FE @7 ~!pp’D 4@?EC@= — D96 36=:6G6D E96 7656C2= 56>2?5D @? A@CE:@? D:K6D 2C6 E@@ D>2==[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C 8C@H:?8 3@JD]k^Am
kAm%@ E92E[ z2J s:G6=3:DD[ ~!pp’D C68:@?2= 5:C64E@C @7 @A6C2E:@?D — H9@ 92AA6?65 E@ 36 5@:?8 2 D:E6 G:D:E 2E E96 D49@@= %F6D52J — A@:?E65 @FE E92E A@CE:@?D 2C6 =:>:E65 @? D@>6 E9:?8D[ 3FE H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 7CF:ED 2?5 G686E23=6D[ DEF56?ED 42? 5@F3=6 FA @? A@CE:@?D] {2JE@? D2:5 2 <6J 5:776C6?46 :? E96 ?6H 7656C2= 8F:56=:?6D :D :? A2DE J62CD[ E96C6 H6C6 >:?:>F>D @? H92E ?66565 E@ 36 D6CG65[ H9:=6 ?@H E96C6 2C6 >2I:>F>D 32D65 @? 42=@C:6D[ 42C3@9J5C2E6D 2?5 72E]k^Am
kAms:G6=3:DD D2:5 E2<:?8 @G6C 7@@5 D6CG:46 27E6C E96 DE2CE @7 E96 D49@@= J62C “>2<6D E96 EC2?D:E:@? D@ >F49 D>@@E96C]” p?5 >@C6 A2E:6?46 :D ?66565 2E E96 6=6>6?E2CJ =6G6=[ 6DA64:2==J H:E9 DEF56?ED :? <:?56C82CE6? E9C@F89 D64@?5 8C256[ 3642FD6 E96 DEF56?ED 2C6?’E FD65 E@ 36:?8 23=6 E@ >2<6 49@:46D] qFE 49@:46D 2C6 2>@?8 E96 <6JD E@ ~!pp’D DF446DD]k^Am
kAmpD x =@@<65 2C@F?5 E96 =F?49 C@@> 2?5 H2E4965 DEF56?ED 4=62C:?8 E96:C EC2JD[ x D2H G6CJ 76H H9@ 925?’E 62E6? >F49 2?5 ;FDE 5F>A65 E96:C =F?49] pD {2JE@? D2:5[ “(96? E96 <:5D 86E E@ 49@@D6[ E96J 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 62E H92E E96J 92G6 E2<6?]”k^Am