HONOLULU (Island News) – Participating Oahu schools received over 2,100 pounds of Hawaii-grown pineapple, introducing local students to a delicious new chicken pineapple wrap.
Twenty-one schools are currently offering the locally grown fruit, with additional schools expected to join over the next month.
Schools are serving the pineapple in two ways, as a fruit side at breakfast and lunch and in the relish of a new island chicken wrap for lunch.
This wrap was created through a collaborative effort involving the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE), Kapiolani Community College’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific, and the Culinary Institute of America. The partnership focuses on revamping school menus to highlight student preferences and fresh, local ingredients.
Students at Mililani Middle School had the opportunity to try the new lunch offering and gave it positive feedback!
“I thought it was very good, and it tasted very fresh. It was the perfect amount of pineapple. You could really taste it, and it was really juicy,” said seventh grader Olivia Manglallan.
For Mililani Middle School Food Services Manager Cherisse Chun, offering Hawaii-grown pineapple is an exciting step toward bringing more local food into students’ meals.
“We’re really excited that we can now offer students the local variation of the different fruits and vegetables they’ve become accustomed to here in Hawaii. It’s great to support the local economy while also serving local produce to our students,” said Chun…