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Private Schools Dump Fried and Junk Foods For Healthier, and Cheaper, Meals

By Seth Schwartz | November 24, 2015 5:23am | Updated on December 3, 2015 8:36am
 Paul Boundas makes preparations in the kitchen for lunch at Holy Trinity High School.
Paul Boundas makes preparations in the kitchen for lunch at Holy Trinity High School.
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DNAinfo/Seth Schwartz

WICKER PARK — Five years ago, after hearing complaints about the lousy food at Holy Trinity High School, school President Tim Bopp took action.

Bopp drove from Wicker Park to St. Rita High School in Ashburn to observe a lunch program that had been gaining popularity, pioneered by Paul Boundas, owner of the Country House Restaurant in suburban Alsip. The program offered healthy lunches that were long on fresh vegetables and fruit but eschewed fried and processed foods. And the program provided the meals at a very reasonable cost.

“Our faculty said we had too many fried foods and our kids had no energy,” Bopp said. “We believe in educating the whole person and providing a healthy lifestyle. The faculty was right, and we changed.”

 Students eat lunch at Holy Trinity High School
Students eat lunch at Holy Trinity High School
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DNAinfo/Seth Schwartz

Holy Trinity, at 1443 W. Division St., is just one of many Catholic schools in the city and suburbs to adopt the program, whose latest addition, Marist in Mt. Greenwood, brought in Boundas this year. Boundas now serves 10,000 meals daily at 12 schools, including Morgan Park Academy in Morgan Park, Mount Carmel in Woodlawn and Brother Rice, which is also in Mt. Greenwood.

Two weeks after Bopp first saw the program in action at St. Rita, Boundas prepared a trial lunch for students and faculty at Holy Trinity.

“The kids loved the food,” said Bopp, who has been with the school for 21 years, the last eight as president. “I was very impressed. It wasn’t like a cafeteria, it was like a restaurant with incredible choices.

“I heard one of the kids say, ‘Why can’t we have this every day?’ They thought it was catered. Paul’s program gives the students more than we’d be able to do ourselves.”

Almost every item is made fresh; fried and processed foods are served in limited quantity. About 75 percent of the students partake in the breakfast, and nearly 100 percent eat the lunch.

While others in the industry thought it was impossible to put out a balanced menu where everything is made from scratch, Boundas' longtime relationships with food distributors allowed him to make the meals at a cost of as low as meals daily for $3.10. Holy Trinity is now even making a slight profit.

“We hired a food service previously, but we really had to stretch our budget and a lot of the food wasn’t healthy,” said Bopp. “Thank god for Paul! There’s no way any of these other food services could come close to providing the meals we’re getting.”

A healthy lunch has benefits in the classroom, too, Bopp said: “Part of what we want to teach is the fundamentals of good living; proper eating habits are a part of that. ... You can see the effect that quality food has on the students. Our teachers know that after a healthy meal, our kids are more focused.”

Some 86 percent of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-cost meals. The school has 331 students from 55 zip codes and even 30 international students. A staff of four prepares breakfast and lunch.

The quality of food creates a different dynamic in the school.

“People always check the screen to see the lunch menu,” said Adriel Gonzalez, a senior from Cicero, who is involved in the chess and pet club. “There’s a race to get in line. You’ll see a lot of people cutting."

Students said they appreciate the range of options on the menu for both main dishes and sides.

“There are always good sides. The breakfast has bacon, bagels, eggs, potatoes and cereal. I love the hot chocolate and oatmeal in the winter,” said Rito Uruchima of Austin. 

“There’s a number of different salads and sandwiches to choose from,” said Noah Johnsen, a senior from Wicker Park. “After lunch, I always have a full stomach and [am] ready for class.”

Sydny Akorsah of Uptown chooses a little of everything: “I have the egg salad every day,” he said. “I like the chili in the bread bowl and the broccoli cheddar soup and the chicken noodle soup in the winter.” 

Students are allowed to make suggestions and Boundas adjusts the menu accordingly throughout the year.

More than half the teachers buy their lunch in the cafeteria and then eat in the teachers' lounge, school leaders said.

“You can tell the kids are not sluggish after lunch,” said freshman English teacher Tom Raehl, adding that he eats at the cafeteria every day, too. “It’s nice knowing I don’t have to prepare lunch the night before.”

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