By Leigh Sadlier, Staff Writer
All Howard County High Schools held a food taste testing during lunch periods n October 27, 2015. These taste tests were designed to introduce new foods to students and to see which received positive feedback. Ultimately, the foods being sampled were intended to be added to the HCPSS school lunch menu.
The foods that were handed out as samples included three different flavors of potato skins: chili cheese, barbeque chicken, and buffalo chicken. All three flavors were believed to have a higher nutritional value than most existing school lunch options.
After sampling the potatoes, students were given a sheet of paper on which they were asked to give their honest opinions. Even though I never read the feedback the county received, it’s hard to imagine there were many positive reviews, based on the lunch table chatter I overheard.
The response from the students, however, was less than favorable. “They tasted like plastic, and the chicken tasted fake,” said senior Kelsey Li.
I agree with that assessment. It seemed the county didn’t take the time to taste test these samples before handing them out to students. The potatoes had a rubbery consistency and the chicken was grey.
I don’t know who made the decision to consider these items, but as taste tested, I grade these an Epic Fail.