Howard County students: A new menu item is coming to a cafeteria near you, one created by your peers.

The county's Food and Nutrition staff is holding a contest in which culinary students will create new entrées, and the winning item will be piloted in county cafeterias in the fall, according to Mary Klatko, administrator of Howard's school meals program.

The contest is the latest effort to involve students in deciding what food is available in school. Students also regularly taste-test prospective menu items from outside vendors.

This year's culinary contest is a joint effort of the school system, county Health Department, School Health Council, and Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition.

Klatko called the contest "good PR" for her program. "The more the kids know about the program, the more likely they are to participate," she said.

Laurie Collins, an instructional facilitator for the county's Family and Consumer Science program, said several high schools have shown an interest in participating. All entries must meet the nutritional guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the National School Lunch Program. Students must also take into account the meal program's budget and the equipment available in school kitchens.

Of primary importance, however, is the appeal to fellow students, Collins said.

Zenoba Stephens said her eight culinary students at Oakland Mills High School are still developing their recipe ideas.

"I think it is a great way to get the students involved and possibly give them a small voice in what they will be eating at school," she said.

Samantha O'Neil, coordinator of the county Health Department's Healthy Howard program, said that prior to the announcement of the winner in mid-April, students in her Voices For Change advisory group will be responsible for marketing the new items at their schools.

While school officials wait to see what the culinary students whip up, they're also sifting through recent feedback from a group of Howard High School students regarding other prospective menu additions for the 2009-2010 school year.

In late January, a dozen students from Howard High gathered for a "food show." During the event, they sampled 66 items -- from strawberry-banana juice to teriyaki chicken to ham, egg and cheese "sunrise sticks" -- that vendors are seeking to sell to county schools.

Howard County orders food as part of a 12-county purchasing cooperative. Several of the other counties sent representatives to the Jan. 21 food show, although Howard was the only system asking students to rate the food.

Results from the food show won't be determined until later this spring, as they hinge on feedback from tasters from each of the counties in the purchasing co-op, Klatko said, and also must go through a bidding process.

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