HELENA — Helena Public Schools held “Montana Menu Day” on Thursday. Every school offered students a taste of Big Sky Country.
The Montana Menu debuted a bison stew with Montana-grown products like carrots and lentils and a wheat roll.
Robert Worthy, the district food services director says, "Today we are actually offering multiple things from all over Montana on the same day on the same menu. Now it is not the only menu we offer today because a lot of kids are going to be a little intimidated by trying things like bison or lentils or even cabbage.”
Bryant Elementary students were excited to share their lunch choice. While many stuck with fish sticks and fries, many tasted the stew.
Leona Mathis, a student at Bryant Elementary said, “I am eating Montana soup and it has carrots and some more vegetables."
Cheyenne Noem, a third grader at the school described the dish as, "I really like the vegetables in it and it is kind of a spicy soup."
Of the students I chatted with they all ranked the Montana meal an 8 out of 10.
Since last February, schools have been serving Montana-grown products when they can. Thursday was the first time the whole meal was made from Montana products.
The goal of the Montana menu is to give access to Montana-grown products to all students.
“So the concept was to provide children an opportunity they may not have at home with Montana grown or raised foods and that was the idea,” Worthy says.
Bison, a symbol of Montana, has made its way on school menus a few times in the form of meatballs and tacos.
It is an expensive ingredient but also an important way to showcase food that is an important cultural resource of Montana's indigenous people.
Worthy shares why bison has become a frequent choice.
"In Montana, they used to roam free like in a lot of states, but it is one of those things that is so unique that the opportunity most children will not have the chance to eat."
The program aims to continue to have more fully Montana menus more often.
