Tour helps ease immigrants' worries about school menus

Immigrant parents have many questions about the school meals their kids are eating, these kitchen tours calm all their fears and even teach them about nutrition.   - - Donna Poisl

Article by: ANTHONY LONETREE , Star Tribune

School was out, but for the Somali families touring the St. Paul school's central kitchen on a recent Friday, it was a time to learn -- and to ask important questions.

Mothers went past gleaming kettles and walk-in ovens, and then stopped at a photo display of what looked like pork products, consumption of which is forbidden in the Muslim world.

Questions flew, among them: How could pepperoni be anything but pork? But after being assured that it was chicken or turkey, and that, in fact, St. Paul's menus were entirely pork-free, the women, satisfied, joined a line serving a school lunch for dinner.
Click on the HEADLINE above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.