Students at Blair Elementary School sampled sopa de fideo, a traditional Mexican noodle soup, as Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD seeks to expand its menu offerings for the next school year.

To better understand the food preferences of Generation Alpha, a team from the district's Student Nutrition Department is expanding its taste-testing program to include elementary and middle school students. Previously, the team worked with Ranchview High School's culinary program and CFBISD student ambassadors to choose menu items.

   

"Our student taste tests gather valuable feedback," said Ace Gonzales, CFBISD chef coordinator. "We use this data to identify food trends our students want to see on our menus."

While the district's menus include staples like hamburgers and chicken nuggets, they also feature diverse dishes such as shawarma chicken wraps, chicken tinga quesadillas and elote-style wings.

Student feedback has led to the approval of several new menu items for the 2025-26 school year, including homemade lasagna, Cajun pasta, chicken fiesta bowls, specialty pizzas, homemade sweet kolaches, chicken fajita soft tacos, patty melts and the newly approved sopa de fideo. The district also plans to introduce house-made dipping sauces, reducing sodium and sugar content compared to pre-made options. 

   

"The development of our menus is a collaborative effort involving the student nutrition team, supervisors, managers and staff," Gonzales said. "We work together to create meals our students love."

 

The CFBISD student nutrition department, with approximately 240 employees, serves nearly 1 million breakfasts and more than 3 million lunches annually. The management team holds state and national certifications in food safety, food systems management and nutrition. The district prioritizes providing healthy meals to support student achievement.