Not many people sit down at lunch and think about where the food we at school comes from and what it takes to get it on the tray. In the words of freshman Eleanor Dodge, “I’d rather not think about it.”

With more than five options for lunch each day, different food items are supplied from a variety of local and national locations. The majority of foods and drinks, such as Westside Water and chicken nuggets, are supplied by Sysco Inc., a food marketing and distribution company located in Lincoln.

In addition to Westside Water and Chicken nuggets, main items Westside receives from Sysco are french fries, chicken strips, and paper goods.

Orders to Westside vendors are placed and received two to three times a week to almost every food vendor. Those orders are then sent to the Central Meal Kitchen building here in Omaha, where the food is then distributes the food within all of District 66.

The food Westside receives from Sysco is stored in large walk-in coolers inside the courtyard and is kept there for a week at the most. Frozen items are stored for a longer time simply because they are frozen and will not perish as fast as a regular refrigerated items.

Because Westside orders from Sysco, food comes from all around the United States. However, the fresh food we see inside the courtyard and Cafe Express are supplied from many farms in Nebraska and Iowa.

“We really believe it is important to buy from those local vendors,” said Westside High School’s Cafeteria manager Craig Cannon.

These fresh food items are supplied from a variety of local midwest farms such as Morris Family Orchard, Clinch Produce and Lone Tree Foods.

“Things like apples and our big sandwich tomatoes are from Nebraska,” said Carrie Eidsness, a Westside kitchen assistant. “Other things like kale, zucchini, cantaloupe and watermelon are from [other] local places.”

With over 1,200 lunches served each day students never see leftovers inside Cafe Express.

“We follow the strict food service protocol. Food can be maintained for four hours before you have to throw it away” Eidsness said.

Westside Nutrition Services staff said that value their students and remind themselves of the importance of serving healthy meals every day.

“The most important aspect of my job is to make sure that no kid goes hungry” cafeteria worker Rose Kent said.