Healthy Choices

King partners with Flik Independent School Dining Services. Flik’s philosophy is summed up in the phrase “Eat. Share. Connect.” Its “Balanced Choices” program ensures a diverse, balanced menu. Culinary trained chefs prepare food from fresh ingredients, limiting the use of processed foods and avoiding artificial colorings, flavorings, M.S.G., preservatives, or trans fats. Healthy directives from Flik include:

• Meats graded choice or higher, and the fresh ground beef and hamburger is 80% lean
• Deli beef and turkey roasted on-site
• Seasonal fruit and vegetables grown by local farmers
• A wide range of nutrition requirements and standards, including Vegan, Vegetarian, Orthodox Kosher and Hallal
• Create Your Plate Healthy program for LS students, which is a curriculum that introduces the importance of eating from all five food groups (fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy)
• The Food Allergy Initiative, the first organization dedicated to a strategic, comprehensive, approach to protecting those at risk of food allergies by listing food ingredients daily in the dining room
• Seafood procured in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood watch guidelines
• Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) certified cage-free shell eggs
• Chicken produced with restricted use of antibiotics, adhering to specific criteria developed in partnership with The Environmental Defense Fund
• Fresh fluid milk from cows certified to be free of the artificial hormones rBGH/rBST.

Sustainable Food Procurement

This past year, King increased its sourcing of sustainably procured food from 14% to 31%, a significant achievement. Sustainably procured food meets at least one of four criteria: Local and Community-Based, Fair, Ecologically Sound, or Humane. The following are descriptions of each criteria:

• Local and Community-Based: Sourcing these foods supports the local economy by keeping money in the community and builds community relations.
• Fair: Individuals involved in food production, distribution, preparation--and other parts of the food system—work in safe and fair conditions.
• Ecologically Sound: Farms, businesses, and other operations involved with food production practice environmental stewardship that conserves biodiversity and preserves natural resources.
• Humane: Animals can express natural behavior in a low-stress environment and are raised with no hormones or unnecessary medication.

Sustainably sourced food at King includes:

• Beef that is certified humane by Humane Farm Animal Care
• Turkey that is American Humane Certified
• Eggs that are certified “cage-free” by Humane Farm Animal Care
• Fruits and vegetables that are sourced locally in season
• Dairy that is sourced locally and USDA Organic Certified
• Grains that are Fair Trade Certified