LIMA, OHIO -
Mother of three, Devin Eisele, has a full proof way to feed her kids lunch while also taking some time for herself.
"It's just a good time for me to take a break, to allow them to come in and hang out with their cousins," said Eisele.
Eisele brings her kids to Independence Elementary for the Lima City School's summer lunch program. During lunch Eisele gets to see her sister who also brings her children. The kids seem to enjoy the meals.
"Sometimes, they have really good food here, and you can pick any drink you want too," said Brandon Eisele, just after finishing his meal.
The summer is used to test out changes in the school menu. This fall, new nutritional guidelines will be implemented nationwide-- calling on school lunches to be healthier. Food like whole grain buns and sweet potato fries will be added in the summer in anticipation of the fall transition. Surprisingly, some students are on board with the idea.
"I like broccoli," said Terry Norris, after being asked about his favorite food.
The free lunches are served at each elementary school in the city except for South Science and Technology Magnet.
"By the end of the summer, we'll average in this building 160 to170 at Heritage, maybe 125 will be the average there. Maybe since '08-'09 when the economy went bad, we almost doubled our numbers, and it's even climbing every year," said John Music, Supervisor of Food Service.
So, the program gives the school staff a way to try out new products, it gives parents a simple way to feed their kids, and for students... "It give us time to see our friends," said Norris who ate lunch with his cousins.
The meals are served from 11:30 to 12:30, Monday through Thursday during summer break. Students 18 and under are welcome at any location.
