Lakeview Middle School students make their lunch selections.

WARSAW — School is a place where young minds are fed and nourished in preparation for the future. However, in order to feed growing minds, schools must also feed growing bodies.

This is where food services comes in.

Marci Franks is the director of Warsaw Community Schools Food and Nutrition Services. While many may wonder how much work could possibly go into feeding students, Franks and Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Stacie Light, know firsthand, it is a very demanding job.

Lunch preparations often begin the afternoon before. After the day’s work is complete, staff members look ahead to see what food items they will need for the next day’s lunch. Sometimes food needs to be taken from the freezer and placed to thaw in the cooler or cans may need to be pulled for use. Everything is stored and removed on a first-in, first-out basis so nothing hits its expiration date.

Everything is done with the students in mind, right down to the way apples and oranges are sliced for easy eating. Kitchen staff arrives early in the morning to prepare for breakfast at 8 a.m. After breakfast, the kitchen and serving lines must be cleaned and sanitized before staff can even begin thinking about lunch.

Lunchtime is around 11 a.m. Because Warsaw schools use the offer vs. serve format, students have a choice between a variety of menu items every day. Besides three to four entree options, kitchen staff members also wash a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, cut them into the required half-cup servings and seal them in clear, plastic bags for safety.

“We do pride ourselves on being able to serve a variety of choices for our students,” Franks said.

A typical menu may consist of a cheeseburger on a bun, a half-cup of carrots, half-cup of french fries, half-cup of peaches and an 8-ounce carton of milk, representing all five food groups. Following the offer vs. serve format, students choose at least three and up to five components for a balanced lunch. At least one must be a fruit or vegetable choice.

Food temperatures are continually taken so hot and cold foods remain at their required temperatures. This ensures food safety.

After lunch, there is still work to be done. Pots, pans and utensils need to be washed, sanitized, dried and put away. Milk coolers, shelves and other storage areas need to be cleaned regularly.

Food service managers and staff must also undergo training. While the USDA standard is six hours per school year, Franks makes sure her managers have at least 10 hours under their belts. That is in addition to ServSafe certification and Nutrition 101 classes to make sure managers and staff are up-to-date on the latest standards.

Planning how much to serve can also be challenging, especially at the beginning of the year when food service personnel are still learning the students’ preferences and patterns as far as what they usually take and how much.

Even with careful planning, unanticipated events can still happen: A vendor may ship an order to the wrong location or a student may need a sack lunch for a field trip or the electricity may go out.