Copperas Cove students choose cafeteria's food through taste tes - KXXV-TV News Channel 25 - Central Texas News and Weather for Waco, Temple, Killeen |

Copperas Cove ISD is allowing its students to choose the food that would be served at the district's cafeteria for the upcoming school year.

The students choose the food through taste testing. CCISD Child Nutrition Director Melissa Bryan said it is important for students to have an active role in choosing the menu items that they will eat.

“If I have two different choices in chicken, then allowing them to taste each item and then complete a survey on it really gives me a true look into which chicken item they think tastes the best,” Bryan said. 

“When they are completing the surveys, I ask them to not just tell me that its “tastes bad” but to describe it to me, to use those adjectives on why they think it tastes bad such as too salty, too mushy, doesn’t taste like “real” chicken. This is the feedback that I am looking for when the selection of items for the next school year menu is in the decision mode.” he added.

Students get to taste test a variety of Asian cuisine, which includes Japanese Cherry Blossom Chicken, Tangerine Chicken, among others. 

“You would not believe how many kids stated that they have never tasted Asian food and the opportunity to give them some new taste experiences was so worth it,” Bryan said.

The winning items for the menu were Teriyaki Chicken, Japanese Cherry Blossom and pizza called Wild Mike's Pizza.

CCISD holds taste testings at different schools, many times during the year.  

Bryan said parents will be invited to participate in the taste testing in the upcoming year.

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