Last Tuesday, as De Soto students poured into lunch, they found multiple booths set up handing out free food to anyone who wanted it. Naturally, this caused a great deal of excitement to high school students.

This day was known as Taste Test Tuesday, a day where students could try many different foods that could possibly be sold during lunch in the future.

“All of these items are items that these vendors have brought to our department asking us to sell to our students. We decided that what better way to see if they would sell than have a free sampling event at the schools,” said Amy Droegemeier, director of student nutrition.

Overall there were spell different vendors from national companies such as Kellogs, Otis Spunkmeyer, Hildand Dairy and Frito Lay. These vendors brought anywhere from one to seven different items of food for students to sample in hopes that they could sell their products to the schools.

Students were given a ticket that gave them the ability to try several food items from five vendors of their choice. Afterword’s they had the opportunity to turn in their filled-out ticket for a chance to win a prize. The nutrition department believed that a little extra incentive would cause more students to participate and would result in better feedback about the products.

“We want to carry items that students really would like to see as part of the al a cart operation so that we don’t have inventory on hand that we can not sell but also that you guys get a chance to have a say what were are actually providing you,” Droegemeier said.

Keeping true to the idea of healthy food, each vendor was supplied with items that were advanced in their nutritional value. Filled with whole grain and low fats, the new items already follow the guidelines that the USDA will be putting in for next year.

Throughout the day many students were stuffing their faces with the newfound foods that were available to them. Several even skipped out on a normal lunch to snack on the free food that was being handed out.  Droegemeier and her staff were pleased with the way the program played out and only heard positive things from the informal surveys that they took.

“I thought the whole day was really cool. I really like being able to try new things. The yogurt smoothies were my favorite thing, and I hope they come to the school,” freshman Paden Bedford said.