Across the country, around 50 million students are enrolled in public school today. With the United States Census Bureau describing student demographics as White (51.8%), Hispanic (25.7%), Black (12.8%), and Asian (4.9%), you might consider public school to be a sort of “melting pot”—a term historically used to describe the U.S. for its blend of heritages. Some argue, though, that this nation is more of a “salad bowl” or “mosaic”; not so much a blend but rather a combination of distinct cultures. When it comes to public schools, understanding the “salad bowl” is key to creating a culturally relevant menu and a more inclusive cafeteria.
School nutrition programs will only be more likely to encounter children with unique backgrounds, preferences, and nutrition needs in the coming years. Currently, around 17 million students live with at least one immigrant parent [1], and by 2060, some predict that one in five Americans will be foreign born [2]. As food is an integral part of cultural identity, every school district can reap the benefits from understanding, preparing, and serving more culturally diverse foods.
Benefits of Cultural Foods in School
What we eat in many ways tells the story of who we are. For students of diverse backgrounds, serving food from their respective culture not only gives them something to eat—as dietary restrictions are integral to many global cuisines—but also helps them feel seen and valued.
Even if a school contains very little diversity, though, there are countless benefits to serving multicultural foods. Doing so may:
- Create Dialogue: Students can learn a lot about different cultures, histories, and traditions through food. With a diverse menu, schools may create dialogue for both students and staff regarding multiculturalism. This, in turn, may promote understanding and respect for diversity.
- Expand Children’s Palates: Research shows that children who lack variety in their diets are more likely to become picky eaters later in life [3]. Global cuisine is a natural way to introduce different foods and flavors. If students are exposed to cultural food in school, they’ll be far more likely to try similar dishes outside the cafeteria.
- Improve Diet Quality: Reducing picky eating is a surefire way to improve students’ diet quality in itself. The more foods students are willing to try, the more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains they’ll be consuming after all. In addition, several cultural staples rely on nutritious ingredients like legumes, lean proteins, and fresh produce. Preparing cultural cuisine also requires some level of scratch cooking and therefore the use of more whole, unprocessed ingredients.
- Increase Community Engagement: School nutrition programs must first understand the needs of their students in order to serve more culturally appropriate foods. Families and community members are vital for recipe ideas, development, and feedback. Just take Westbrook School Department in Maine, for instance, who utilized their community to develop recipes for their African immigrant student population. (Read about their experience here.)
Culturally Authentic vs. Culturally Appropriate
From ever-changing nutrition standards to staffing and supply issues, school nutrition programs have a lot to consider. Asking schools to serve culturally authentic meals may be unrealistic and, in full transparency, not entirely possible.
While culturally authentic foods adhere to accurate cooking methods and ingredients, culturally appropriate meals contain appropriate flavor profiles but have gone through some modifications. For instance, a school may need to change the preparation method due to equipment availability. Or, they may alter how a dish is cooked in order to meet existing nutrition standards (e.g., baked instead of fried). Schools may even need to swap ingredients in a recipe because they cannot purchase all authentic foods.
Whether the goal is authenticity or appropriateness, understanding a school’s cultural makeup is vital to meet students’ needs. While culture can vary greatly per region (or even state), there are some major trends to recognize.
Current Cultural Trends
This year, the Migration Policy Institute released data regarding the United States immigrant population. According to their report, nearly 46.2 million immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2022—the highest in U.S. history. The most popular countries of origin included:
- Mexico (10.7 million U.S. residents; 23% of the U.S. population)
- India (2.8 million U.S. residents)
- China (2.5 million U.S. residents)
While Latin America and Asia have long made up the homelands for most U.S. immigrants, there are some subgroups seeing faster growth. School districts and their surrounding communities will be more likely to encounter students from these countries. As a result, understanding their respective cuisines, dietary restrictions, and eating patterns is key for creating a culturally relevant menu.
1.) Venezuela
Bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, this South American country gained independence from Spain in 1819. Due to various political, economic, and social factors, Venezuela has faced an increasing amount of displacement. Venezuelans make up the fastest rising immigrant population in the U.S. with a 263% increase.
The culture of Venezuela is diverse with strong influences from Spanish, African, and Indigenous heritages. From a culinary perspective, this country shares staples with several other Latin American countries; namely, corn and beans, yet has additional influences from French and Dutch Caribbean cuisine.
Pabellón criollo (Venezuelan Beef), the national dish of Venezuela, consists of white rice, black beans, shredded beef, and fried plantains.
Venezuelan cuisine is rich with aromatic spices such as chili pepper, cilantro, and cumin. Flavors are fresh and bold with staple ingredients of plantains, avocado, spiced chicken and beef, fish (especially in the eastern region), and corn. Corn is especially important to this culture as it is the key ingredient in arepas —cornmeal cakes stuffed with avocado and chicken or shredded beef.
Looking to serve Venezuelan-inspired dishes in school? Check out these flavorful K-12 recipes utilizing ingredients and flavors hallmark to this Latin American country:
2.) Afghanistan
A long history of political instability and conflict has led Afghanistan to be the second fastest growing birthplace for U.S. immigrants with a 258% increase. This nation was originally founded in 1747 but did not gain independence from Britain until 1919. Afghanistan is positioned at the junction of four areas: the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Far East.
Islam is the official religion of Afghanistan with well over 90% of the population identifying as Muslim [4]. This is an important fact for foodservice operations as Islamic dietary laws (also known as Halal) are integral to the practice. Those following Halal avoid all pork and pork by-products (bacon, ham, sausage, etc.) as well as any improperly slaughtered animals. Carnivorous animals, birds of prey, alligators, and frogs are also restricted. You can read more about serving Halal food in school here.
Afghan cuisine consists of both Middle Eastern and Asian elements. Spices such as cumin, cardamom, mint, and turmeric are common as well as Afghanistan’s char marsala, a spice blend akin to that of India’s garam marsala (only without the chili powder). While Afghan food has a rich depth of flavor, this cuisine is not overly spicy. Yogurt is often added as a dressing or topping.
Kabuli Pulao is the national dish of Afghanistan, a meal made of steamed rice and caramelized onions, carrots, raisins, and marinated lamb meat. Almonds and pistachios are a popular garnish.
Rice is a central ingredient to much of traditional Afghan cuisine along with naan bread. Other favored foods include lamb, chickpeas, dal (cooked lentils), cucumber, dates, nuts, and raisins. Hearty stews and kebabs are especially popular with salata, chutney, and yogurt sauces used to cut the richness of these dishes.
3.) Nepal
Landlocked between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, Nepal is a relatively small nation—about same size as the state of Iowa. Nepal makes up the third fastest growing U.S. immigrant population with a 175% increase in 2022.
Nepali cuisine is sometimes referred to as the cuisine of the Himalayas with both Tibetan and Indian influences. Foods can be incredibly diverse, though rice, wheat, lentils and corn are key staples just about anywhere. Vegetables like spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and green beans are central to many dishes. Staple Nepali meals, for instance, will feature bhat (steamed rice), dal (lentil soup), and tarkari (vegetable dishes) with the occasional meat dish.
Dal Bhat, the national dish of Nepal, features boiled rice (the bhat) with a lentil curry (the dal). This meal may be served with vegetable side dishes and flatbread (roti).
Much like the food, cooking methods vary based on the region of Nepal. Boiling and steaming are common in the mountainous regions, however, grilling and frying are more popular in the south. Spices such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and coriander are central to Nepali cuisine. Mustard oil is the cooking oil of choice, adding a strong flavor to dishes.
Over 80% of Nepal is Hindu, meaning that a majority of this population avoids beef. Dairy products, however, are acceptable. And while several practicing Hindus are vegetarian, this religion does not outright restrict the consumption of meat (apart from beef). In fact, only a small portion of Nepal identify is vegetarian despite the fact that many staple meals rely on plant-based proteins.
Take a look at these K-12 recipes inspired by the ingredients and flavors of Nepal:
Steps to Creating a Culturally Relevant Menu
- Develop recipes
- The first step to crafting a culturally relevant menu is to understand what foods are being served in the surrounding community. Seek out members who can add input and assist in the development of recipes.
- Acquire Funding
- Search for funds, such as grants, to offset costs. Make sure to include food cost and staff labor to compensate staff for training time.
- Train Your Staff
- New recipes will only be sustainable if staff is equipped with all the necessary culinary skills to prepare them. It’s important to train staff in a calm environment where they have enough time to learn and ask questions.
- Offer Taste Tests
- Students are less likely to try new foods when these foods are unfamiliar. Offering taste tests allows kids to try recipes without risking their lunch. In turn, children may be more accepting of the food when it comes time for service. It’s also important to get feedback from students of diverse backgrounds; they can let you know what they would like to see on the menu.
- Spread the Word
- Surrounding communities are an invaluable resource for developing new recipes and attaining support. You can also consider reaching out to local press who can report on what your school kitchen is cooking.
When we think about the school menu, we often think of it’s primary (and most obvious) purpose—to fuel children. Through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, millions of students are provided essential calories, vitamins, and minerals each day. However, the school menu also serves a purpose in terms of culture. While chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, and hamburgers may be popular, a menu that is “Americanized” sends an unspoken message that these foods are the norm.
Serving a culturally relevant menu helps to ensure all students feel included, respected, and celebrated. By examining current trends, seeking help from community members, and working with staff and students, any school can create a successful, culturally relevant menu.
References
[1] Batalova, Jeanne. “Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States.” Migration Policy Institute , 13 Mar. 2024, www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/FRS-PRINT-2024-FINAL.pdf.
[2] Colby, Sandra L., and Jennifer M. Ortman. Projections of the Size and Composition of the U.S. Population: 2014 to 2060. 2015, www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.pdf.
[3] Taylor, Caroline M, and Pauline M Emmett. “Picky eating in children: causes and consequences.” The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society vol. 78,2 (2019): 161-169. doi:10.1017/S0029665118002586
[4] “Afghanistan.” United States Department of State, 2022, www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/afghanistan/#:~:text=According%20to%20Pew%20Forum%20data.
Additional Resources
Venezuela:
Afghanistan:
- https://togetherwomenrise.org/customsandcuisine/customs-and-cuisine-of-afghanistan/#:~:text=Lamb%20and%20chicken%20are%20widely,best%20part%20of%20any%20meal
- https://metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/dietetic-profile-afghan.pdf
- https://afghancooks.com/afghan-food/#2-afghans-love-rice
Nepal:
- https://togetherwomenrise.org/customsandcuisine/nepal/#:~:text=The%20Nepali%20staples%20consist%20primarily,supplemented%20by%20some%20meat%20preparation.
- https://ntb.gov.np/things-to-do/food-&-culinary
- https://www.gviusa.com/blog/smb-nepals-traditional-food-a-culinary-journey-through-the-himalayas/
