Sweet potato to become part of the regular menu in Hawai‘i’s public schools

Throughout May, Hawaiʻi public school cafeterias statewide, including Hilo Union School, were offered the opportunity to serve ʻuala (sweet potato) as a lunch side item.

Approximately 372 pounds of local Okinawan sweet potatoes were distributed to 91 participating schools. The effort is part of the Hawai‘i Department of Education’s farm-to-school initiative, which aims to enhance food sustainability in Hawai‘i and aligns with the goals of Act 175 to improve student health while supporting local farmers.

While ʻuala has made special appearances on the school lunch trays in recent years, it will become part of the regular menu in cafeterias. The potato is prepared in a variety of forms, from steamed to mashed to yogurt to pie.

“I just love sweet potato. It’s something that I’ve always loved and always will love,” said Hilo Union School sixth grader Isabella-Marie Wells. “Every time my mom has sweet potato at home, that’s the first thing I grab and put on my plate. So, I got really excited. I’m like, asking everybody, ‘You know there’s sweet potato? You know there’s sweet potato?’ And they’re like, yeah.”

Hawaiʻi public schools are the state’s largest institutional consumer of food products, serving over 100,000 student meals a day.

The Department continues to work closely with local vendors statewide to see how fresh local produce can be scaled across all schools in the future on a regular basis.

April Weber, School Food Services Manager at Hilo Union School, said the administration is supportive of the cafeteria when they get involved with special events that involve the students.

“We love introducing it to them and I think that’s a great opportunity for them to see, taste, and even just be part of this,” Weber said.