Let’s be honest, school food can get a bit of a bad wrap. Social media has the power to portray the meals in a negative light, but Trinity is a huge exception. Each of the six kitchens in the district is equipped with a large staff and plenty of culinary options to support the entire student body, but not many students know about the inner-workings of the cafeteria and everything that happens behind the scenes.

Mrs. Nicolle Bazant Pleil, Trinity’s Food Service Director, oversees the kitchens at each of the district’s six schools, with the specific jobs of purchasing, staffing and creating each month’s lunch menu. In all of this, Bazant Pleil’s responsibility is to ensure that each week’s meals meet the requirements for nutritional value set by the state of Pennsylvania while also not surpassing the daily allowed amounts of other inclusions such as sodium and sugar.

“It’s really like putting together a puzzle,” said Bazant Pleil, “We have to hit those nutritional targets, ensure there’s not too many calories or too much fat, and also include foods that we know we can get and fit into the regulations.”

Students and teachers may have noticed some new options on those monthly menus during this school year, including sirloin steak and tilapia. While these don’t seem like typical school options, these new choices have been a hit among both staff and students. In fact, a professional chef comes to Trinity Area each year  to share some tips on seasoning and cooking these meals. 

“The training was awesome. The staff from each school came together and it was a really fun experience,” said Kelly Secreti, part of Trinity High School’s cafeteria staff. 

Despite these successes in the cafeteria, the production has been facing major problems relating to the recent supply chain and food shortage issues. Bazant Pleil says that there have been times where she was given a 24-hour notice that suppliers weren’t coming with the shipments required to feed Trinity’s students. This left Bazant Pleil to travel to Sam’s Club, Walmart and more with a rented U-Haul to make the necessary purchases and ensure adequate supply. This is just one of the reasons why some foods, and even the trays, may have looked a little different recently.

Despite the challenges, one of Bazant Pleil’s main hopes for the high school’s cafeteria is to get back to the customization options that were available prior to the pandemic, specifically noting the yogurt and noodle bars that were popular options with students before social distancing and contact tracing. 

“We’re really looking to go back to more of a self-serve system. This also includes more customized options because this generation is used to going to Moe’s or Sheetz to make whatever they want and we want to replicate that,” said Bazant Pleil.

Secreti mentioned, on behalf of the entire staff, that they love to see the students coming through the lines each day. The staff can also tell which meals the students really enjoy based on what lines they go through, and this can have some sway on each month’s menu. 

Bazant Pleil also had some kind words about the cafeteria staff at Trinity High School.

“They’re such a fun group of people. They play the radio in the back, and it’s just a fun atmosphere,” said Bazant Pleil.

As for some final thoughts, Bazant Pleil hopes that students will take advantage of the school’s after-school dinner program from 2:30 p.m.  to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. Anyone at the school for any reason is welcome to stop by the cafeteria and grab their free meal!