This year, the San Diego Unified School District added a new lunch option to the student menu to help fit the needs of various communities.
It launched a pilot program in City Heights, the home to a large community of Muslim east Africans where strict faith guidelines requires them to eat only halal foods, which is similar to kosher.
It’s the hardest question being asked in school cafeterias across the San Diego Unified School District.
“What are you having for lunch today?” said Gary Petill, the food and nutrition services director.
A new popular dish found exclusively on the Crawford High School cafeteria lunch menu is making a world of difference to students who are mostly Muslim.
Because their faith does not allow them to eat pork or pork products and no meat slaughtered outside their religion guidelines, the district’s food and nutrition services is offering halal chicken, twice a week.
“We want students to eat and they cannot learn unless they eat. We want to make our food healthy. We offer salad bars and local organic fresh produce from our local farmer’s everyday and that also has been a very big demand,” said Petill.
Since offering the halal dish, student participation has increased. The Crawford cafeteria now serves 400 more students.
“I don’t really believe my eyes, when I saw the menu. It’s wonderful,” said parent, Layla Ali.
Ali Ahmed, 17, remembers going to school and spending the whole day not eating. He says, studying without any food in his stomach made for a tough day.
“It distracts me from participating in class because I’m thinking about, what should I eat and I’m thinking about ‘oh, I’m hungry,’ I should eat something or should I go home now and eat?” he said.
Parents, and advocate groups are pushing to have halal permanently on the menu. They meet regularly with school leaders to talk about halal food, and all the ingredients needed for a good healthy lunch.
They say students who eat, do better in the classroom.
“They learn good, and they feel good in school,” said parent, Hamda Haji.
School officials found over 60 percent of students are choosing halal chicken. It costs four cents more per serving and the challenge now is being able to supply the need to offer the dish next year.