Nutrition at NEST+m

With an active PTA Health Committee and a talented kitchen staff, we are proud to say that NEST+m serves some of the most delicious and nutritious school lunches in New York. The Health Committee works closely with DOE SchoolFoods executives and managers to discuss how both the menu and the students’ dining experience can be enhanced.

This year, the health committee has streamlined the menu to promote more fresh whole foods and encourage recipes that provide a nutritional punch, such as roasted vegetables and bean-based soups. Every month the health committee meets with the kitchen manager to go over the upcoming menu, and we even invite students to tastings so they can try out new items and recipes. As a result, the kids have enjoyed eating fresh new items from the salad bar this year—especially since parent volunteers serve the salad bar on Wednesdays, encouraging the children to add more color to their diets. This year, we removed hamburgers from the menu and replaced them with healthier burritos, which have proven to be just as popular with the students. We also replaced pressed chicken patties with real roasted chicken, and added international flavors such as falafel, hummus, curried chickpeas, and Asian stir fry. Thanks to the support of the PTA, we have been able to purchase extra virgin olive oil and organic white beans, and we hope to add split peas, barley, lentils and quinoa this year. All milk served at NEST+m is low-fat or skim, and we recently changed our bread to a delicious and very fresh-tasting multigrain variety.

We are pleased to offer the "Garden to Cafe" program; SchoolFood has given NEST+m permission to supplement our menu with local produce from the Union Square Greenmarket. Once a week, the kitchen offers a "market special," such as roasted cinnamon sweet potato "fries." We also used our own NEST-grown produce this year by planting greens in Woolly Pockets in the courtyard, then harvesting them and incorporating the greens into a pre-Thanksgiving lunch enjoyed by the students.
 
Every March, the Health Committee offers food samples during lunch. The students are always excited to taste new recipes, and it has proven to be an excellent way to increase their exposure to more healthful foods. We plan to increase the number of tastings we do throughout this school year.

The lunch menu includes a salad bar every day, with fresh greens and homemade dressings; rotating items include cucumbers, tomatoes, cold bean salads, hummus, white bean dip, and healthy cole slaw.
Mondays: Roast chicken (rosemary, curried, pesto, or BBQ) with brown rice pilaf and roasted or sauteed vegetables.
Tuesdays: Soup (cauliflower, black bean, white bean, minestrone, vegetarian chili) and panini (mozzarella, tomato, and basil and/or chicken), with roasted or sauteed vegetables.
Wednesdays: Burrito Day (chicken, pork, or bean), with brown rice, salsa, and corn.
Thursdays: International Day (baked falafel and tabouli, hot Cuban sandwich,  stir-fried rice with pork, chicken or tofu, curried chickpeas over brown rice,  pastas and lasagna with roasted vegetables).
Fridays: Pizza, plus healthful bean dishes, roasted vegetables, and Greenmarket specials.


PAY LUNCH ACCOUNT ONLINE
Make your child's lunch payment online, check balances, or view purchases at www.myLunchMoney.com. To enroll, you need the school's zip code (10002) and the student's grade, birth date, and school ID number. The customer support center can be reached at 800-479-3531.

REQUIRED DOE LUNCH FORM
Every family must complete the DOE Lunch Form whether or not they are interested in or qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. If you have misplaced the form or did not receive it, please complete the form online at www.nyc.gov/accessnyc. Please know that this form is required from all NEST+m families and effects our school's funding!

Tips for Filling Out the Lunch Form:
• Go to www.nyc.gov/accessnyc
• Families with more than one student at NEST+m only need to complete only form
• If you are not applying for free or reduced lunch you don't need to provide any financial information
• If you don't know your student's ID number, contact NEST+m's Main Office at 212-677-5190.
• The school number for NEST+m is 539