Columnist Susan Snyder: Hoggan’s heroes eat very well

Friday, March 2, 2001 | 10:08 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Sundays, Fridays and Tuesdays. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or 259-4082.

School lunch.

Oh, stop. It's not that bad. In fact, a group of third graders over at Jydstrup Elementary School said they think it's pretty good most of the time.

While visiting the school a few weeks back, I asked what they liked best. Tater tots are hot, as are the mini corn dogs and hot ham and cheese sandwiches.

"I like the hot dogs. And the hamburgers," a little girl said.

One little boy said he even likes the broccoli, which just goes to show it's hard telling what will appeal to a third grader's palate. But Sue Hoggan tries.

Hoggan, a food services supervisor for the Clark County School District, says it's impossible to please everyone. Typically, children like to see foods they recognize and like to recognize the foods they see.

"They don't like casseroles. They want to see what's in it," Hoggan said. "They like foods that are familiar to them."

But even that's no sure bet for success.

"I don't like the pizza. I take the cheese off," one little boy said.

"And the sausage," a classmate added, "there's something wrong with it."

"The chicken that comes with the corn is sticky," another boy volunteered.

Sticky?

"And once when I was eating it I got this thing stuck in my throat," his classmate recalled.

OK, we get the picture.

"Maybe they're just trying to torment us," another child concluded.

Hoggan promises that's not the case.

The consistency of some foods might seem odd because the kitchens in older schools such as Jydstrup are too small for cooking the lunches. Their meals are cooked, packaged and delivered to the school, Hoggan said. It's tough to keep a chicken nugget crispy under those circumstances.

District officials are upgrading the older kitchens, but it's a slow, expensive process, she said.

Meanwhile Hoggan and her staff members are pretty picky about what goes on the menu. A new item must meet federal nutrion guidelines, fit the district's budget and fit the 4-by-6-inch tray in which it's packed.

So let's say a vendor shows up hawking okra nuggets, and Hoggan is interested. First she must contact other vendors that also offer okra nuggets and ask for bids. Then Hoggan and her staff do taste tests.

If the item passes muster with the grownups it's tested on a willing class of children.

"That's where we get some really good feedback," Hoggan said.

Kids can be specific, all right. It's a wonder school officials can feed them at all. Until I turned 13, I pretty much avoided everything except tomato soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Jydstrup pupils have more imagination. First off, they want dessert first. And they suggested adding shrimp cocktail, lobster, black-eyed peas, root beer floats and lady fingers to the lunch menu.

Hoggan laughed out loud at the shrimp and lobster. I'm thinking that means they won't be coming soon to a school near you.

Lobster tails probably wouldn't fit the tray anyway.