DINING INDUSTRY
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Laguna Beach restaurateur serves meals to kids
Sapphire Laguna chef, owner Azmin Ghahreman partners with St. Anne in Laguna Niguel.
By Logan ChurmPublished: September 10, 2009 11:45 AM
Laguna Beach restaurateur Azmin Ghahreman has launched a school program called Every Child is My Child that provides freshly prepared, healthful lunches, a la carte breakfasts and snacks to the 800 students at St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel.
Ghahreman, a chef and the owner of Sapphire Laguna, delivers the meals to the school daily. The menu is based on the Mediterranean food pyramid and provides a balance of protein, grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and oils. He hopes the program will serve as a model for other school menus and lunch plans.
“We believe more and more schools will jump on the healthy-food bandwagon, and we are positioning our program to be at the forefront of school lunch reform,” says Ghahreman, who is the father of three young children.
Ghahreman says he was inspired by President Barack Obama’s initiative to improve nutrition standards in school cafeterias. Many school menus still feature fried, starchy and processed foods.
He and his team met with medical specialists, registered dietitians and other experts in the field of pediatric studies while developing the menu, and careful consideration was given to flavor, diversity, balance, portion control and appeal to the students, who span from kindergarten to the eighth grade.
The menu features two daily entrées, ranging from Turkey Bolognese with Whole Wheat Pasta to Albacore Tuna Salad Pinwheels, and Baked All White Meat Chicken Fingers to Shepherd’s Pie with Peas and Carrots. A la carte items include breakfast burritos, salads, sandwiches and wraps.
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Ghahreman, a chef and the owner of Sapphire Laguna, delivers the meals to the school daily. The menu is based on the Mediterranean food pyramid and provides a balance of protein, grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and oils. He hopes the program will serve as a model for other school menus and lunch plans. “We believe more and more schools will jump on the healthy-food bandwagon, and we are positioning our program to be at the forefront of school lunch reform,” says Ghahreman, who is the father of three young children. Ghahreman says he was inspired by President Barack Obama’s initiative to improve nutrition standards in school cafeterias. Many school menus still feature fried, starchy and processed foods. He and his team met with medical specialists, registered dietitians and other experts in the field of pediatric studies while developing the menu, and careful consideration was given to flavor, diversity, balance, portion control and appeal to the students, who span from kindergarten to the eighth grade. The menu features two daily entrées, ranging from Turkey Bolognese with Whole Wheat Pasta to Albacore Tuna Salad Pinwheels, and Baked All White Meat Chicken Fingers to Shepherd’s Pie with Peas and Carrots. A la carte items include breakfast burritos, salads, sandwiches and wraps. |
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