Food Services Manager Alicia Vartabedian listens to student feedback to create meals kids actually want to eat
At St. Paul School and Preschool, lunchtime isn’t just about filling hungry bellies — it’s about creating an experience that students genuinely enjoy. Food Services Manager Alicia Vartabedian has made it her mission to serve meals that meet both nutritional needs and student preferences, and her approach is paying off in empty lunch trays and satisfied smiles.
“I loved reading all their cute comments and suggestions!” Vartabedian said about the student surveys she conducted last school year. These surveys have become the foundation for menu planning, giving students a direct voice in what appears on their lunch trays.
The results speak for themselves. Based on student feedback, Vartabedian made several popular changes for the 2025-26 school year. Ramen, a clear student favorite, will now be served most Thursdays starting in September. American cheese has been replaced with cheddar on cheeseburgers after almost all students reported a preference for the real thing. Even breakfast items got an upgrade. Belgian waffles will replace traditional ones, and boiled eggs will appear on the salad bar instead of scrambled eggs.
“Surprisingly, our students prefer boiled eggs over scrambled eggs,” Vartabedian noted, demonstrating how student feedback continues to surprise and inform her menu decisions.
“School is a place where it’s safe to try new things. We don’t force anything on our students, but I encourage them to try everything at least once. There are plenty of options available each day that if they don’t like something, there’s probably something they do like that they can grab instead.”
Alicia Vartabedian,
Food Services Manager
A Menu Built for Students
The 2025-26 lunch lineup features an impressive variety of entrees designed to appeal to different tastes. Student favorites include Chicken Strips with Rice Pilaf, Corn Dog with Fries, Spaghetti with Garlic Bread, and Nachos with Ground Beef. The full menu also includes everything from Bean & Cheese Burritos to Turkey Sub Sandwiches, with Pizza served every Friday.
For kindergarten through sixth-grade students, the expanded salad bar offers fresh options that change with the seasons:
| Apples Plums Grapes Pineapple Cantaloupe | Watermelon Peaches Cuties Tomatoes Broccoli | Nectarines Strawberries Bananas Peas Carrots | Onions Corn Grape Tomatoes Green Beans Cucumbers |
“I love to put fresh fruits and veggies that are in season for variety,” Vartabedian explained. The salad bar rotates through items like watermelon and peaches in summer, apples and pears in fall, and includes protein options like boiled eggs and string cheese year-round.
The lunch program takes a thoughtful approach to different age groups. While older students enjoy the full salad bar experience, preschoolers receive age-appropriate fresh fruits and vegetables served directly to them.
“Salad bar ingredients aren’t all developmentally appropriate for our youngest students,” Vartabedian said. “Preschoolers will still have fresh fruit and veggies at lunch time, but they will be served items that are the appropriate size, shape and texture for their stage of development.”
Looking Ahead
The 2025-26 school year will kick off with a special treat — free nachos for all students and parents on the first day of school, Aug. 13. Lunch begins for preschool students and their families at 11:30 a.m. Elementary students and their families are encouraged to enjoy lunch after school is dismissed at noon.
Regular hot lunch service begins Aug. 18.
Lunch prices remain affordable and are billed monthly to family FACTS accounts: $5 for preschool through first grade, $5.50 for second and third grade, and $6 for fourth through sixth grade.
For Vartabedian, the lunch program represents more than just meal service. It’s about building relationships and creating positive experiences. Her daily question to students, “What did you eat from the salad bar?” has become a beloved tradition that encourages healthy choices while showing students that she cares about their individual experiences. It also shows that she knows the difference between what they put on their trays and what they actually tried.
“School is a place where it’s safe to try new things,” Vartabedian said. “We don’t force anything on our students, but I encourage them to try everything at least once. There are plenty of options available each day that if they don’t like something, there’s probably something they do like that they can grab instead.”
As families prepare for the new school year, they can feel confident that their children’s lunch experience is in caring hands that always keep student satisfaction at the heart of every menu decision.
Lunch sign-ups for August and September open on Aug. 1 through the FACTS parent portal. For questions about the lunch program, families can contact the school office at 209-383-3302.
St. Paul School and Preschool has been serving Merced County families since 1991. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA), and affiliated with the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.
