In February, students in Dexter schools tried a new, local item: Calico Bean Salad made with Michigan-grown Dry Beans. It was served in all six schools on 2/23 and 2/24.
The beans were grown on Carlson-Arbogast Farm in Howard City, MI. They included cranberry beans, black beans, and little red beans. The salad was a beautiful mix of the three beans, cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, and a tangy dressing.
Some schools even added some edamame in for color.
The bean salad fit in nicely with the other fresh foods on the salad bar . . .
Students chose the bean salad along with their lunch in relatively small numbers, but a good number of students tried samples of the special salad and reported enjoying the salad in relatively good numbers. Here are some more specific results:
Bates (in one lunch period)
- ~30 tried it in samples
- ~13 counted saying they liked it (but check photos for better count)
- ~6 took it from salad bar for hot lunch
- ~5 wanted seconds on samples
Projected Totals =
- 43% liked it
- 18 took it from the salad bar
Quotes from kids –
To a friend: “You should have tried the beans!”
“They tasted like sand.”
“I don’t like tomatoes so I don’t want to try it.”
Cornerstone (in one lunch period)
- ~25 tried samples – > including 3 who didn’t take it from the salad bar but did take the samples
- ~15 counted saying they liked it
- 4 took it from the salad bar for hot lunch
- 2 wanted seconds
Projected Totals =
- 60% liked it
- 12 took it from the salad bar for lunch
Dry beans are grown in Michigan in great quantities and they represent a fantastic opportunity for connecting kids with food grown close to home. They are also a healthy source of fiber and protein and are versatile in the kitchen! We hope that this year’s dry bean feature will represent the start of a new idea for food service that will provide a healthy to benefit Dexter students for years to come.