After Elsa’s victory, her class was invited to the New York City Public Schools test kitchen. This is where menus for the entire New York City school district—the largest in the United States—are created.

Elsa and her classmates were among the hundreds of students who visited the test kitchen in 2024. These students have a big job. They help select the foods that more than 912,000 kids, from kindergarten through high school, eat each day. 

“It’s so important that kids have a say in what they’re served for lunch,” says Nelson Quiles. He works for the New York City Public Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Services. 

At each session, students sample four or five meals. They vote on whether they like each one and then give feedback.

Elsa’s class tried a pasta dish called manicotti. It didn’t meet their approval. But an egg-and-cheese sandwich did. While most of the kids liked it, some students thought the bread was too soggy.

More than 1,500 kids try each new dish. At least 70 percent of them must give their stamp of approval before the food appears in schools. 

“We want to make sure the food is not only healthy but something kids actually want to eat,” Quiles explains.

After Elsa’s victory, her class was invited to the New York City Public Schools test kitchen. This is where menus for the entire New York City school district are created. That’s the largest district in the United States. 

Elsa and her classmates were among hundreds of students who visited the test kitchen in 2024. These students have a big job. They help select the foods that more than 912,000 kids eat each day. That includes kids from kindergarten through high school. 

“It’s so important that kids have a say in what they’re served for lunch,” says Nelson Quiles. He works for the New York City Public Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Services. 

At each session, students sample four or five meals. They vote on whether they like each one. Then they give feedback.

Elsa’s class tried a pasta dish called manicotti. It didn’t meet their approval. But an egg-and-cheese sandwich did. While most of the kids liked it, some thought the bread was too soggy.

More than 1,500 kids try each new dish. At least 70 percent of them must give their stamp of approval. Then the food can appear in schools. 

“We want to make sure the food is not only healthy but something kids actually want to eat,” Quiles explains.

It’s important to serve kids food they like. If not, it could end up in the trash. In fact, U.S. public schools produce about 530,000 tons of food waste each year, according to the World Wildlife Fund. That’s about 1.7 billion dollars’ worth of food.

But public schools can’t serve just anything students want. They must follow federal guidelines. These guidelines make sure the meals are healthy (see “What’s on Your Plate?”). Experts say that kids who eat nutritious foods are more focused and energetic. 

This school year, Elsa noticed that the egg sandwich her class reviewed had been added to the P.S./I.S. 187 menu. But there was a twist. The soggy bread had been replaced by a croissant.

“It was so cool,” Elsa says. “They actually listened to the suggestions. I hope they continue to listen to kids.”

This school year, Elsa noticed that the egg sandwich her class reviewed had been added to the P.S./I.S. 187 menu. But there was a change. The soggy bread had been replaced by a croissant.

“It was so cool,” Elsa says. “They actually listened to the suggestions. I hope they continue to listen to kids.”

1. How do kids help at the New York City Public Schools test kitchen?

2. How does the article support the idea that it is important for schools to serve lunches that kids will like?

3. How does the sidebar, “What’s on Your Plate?,” support the article?

1. How do kids help at the New York City Public Schools test kitchen?

2. How does the article support the idea that it is important for schools to serve lunches that kids will like?

3. How does the sidebar, “What’s on Your Plate?,” support the article?