“A Delicious Day:” Fulton County Students Broaden Tastes for School Menu

When you reflect on your favorite meals on your school menu, what comes to mind? For Fulton County School (FCS) students, the most popular picks include items you might find at a high-end restaurant: jerk chicken alfredo pasta, birria barbacoa nachos and jalapeño bacon mac & cheese.

These dishes, along with many others, will find their way to the cafeteria menu courtesy of the discerning student judges who have participated in the annual FCS Student Choice Food Challenge. The event, which celebrated its seventh year this February, originated with a central concept.

“We were looking for a way to connect with the students all at one time,” says FCS School Nutrition Executive Director Alyssia Wright (pictured above, front and center).

Choosing what ends up on students’ plates is a meticulous process, says Wright. It begins with the expert palettes in the FCS School Nutrition Program trying out 50 recipes developed by the FCS Menus Team. The Central Office gets the lucky role of trimming that list to 30 recipes. Then, the list is narrowed down to 10. That is where the toughest part of the competition begins.

This year, students from Crabapple Crossing Elementary School, Johns Creek High School, Langston Hughes High School, North Springs High School and Woodland Middle School were invited to participate in a taste test of the top ten dishes, presented by chefs and food vendors at the FCS Administrative Building. From Brazilian cheese bites to Korean bulgogi bowls, to French raspberry coulis with mini waffles -- the aroma of dishes inspired by the vast array of cultures represented by FCS families filled the “taste-test” room at the FCS Administrative Center on February 14th.

“Our students are exposed to more types of food than we were exposed to growing up,” says Wright. “We meet them where they are.”

Before this year’s competition, a Johns Creek High School student reached out to the FCS School Nutrition Department – a first for the event.

“He has a cookbook centered around vegan recipes that are affordable, healthy and environmentally friendly,” says FCS School Nutrition Program coordinator Denielle Saitta. The student’s Korean tofu (pictured right) was a contender in this year’s challenge, marking the first time a student submission has been entered.

Based in part on data from student surveys, the Nutrition Program chooses which dishes will make the cut for next year’s school menu. For 2025-2026, you might see catfish po-boys, Low Country Boil or a guava puff pastry, which were all top contenders in this year’s challenge.

The key ingredient is student feedback, says Saitta. “It’s a great, fun, high-energy event. It’s an amazing opportunity to hear directly from our students.”

Food Samples

Student Judges