Providing a healthy start and a happy belly are two goals of Nicole Mayernik.
Mayernik is the new child nutrition director for Watauga County Schools. An Appalachian State University graduate in health promotion, education and nutrition, she worked for the Rockingham County school system as a supervisor. Finding an opportunity to return to the mountains, she applied for the Watauga position and earned her first director's job.
Her tasks include planning the school lunch menus and oversees the budget for each of the nine school cafeterias. "We try to plan balanced meals and offer a la cart options," she said. "We have to generate revenues. All our funds go to personnel, training, and capital expenses."
Mayernik noted that the challenge was to operate the cafeterias like businesses while simultaneously promoting ideals of good eating habits and balanced diets.
"We work hard to make sure our cafeterias receive high sanitation scores," she said, making sure the areas are clean and food is handled safely to meet state and federal guidelines. Nutrition offices are overseen by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, but they also work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as school administrators and parents.
"We want to ensure we're meeting the needs of the community and the students," Mayernik said. "Right now, we're working hard on our free and reduced lunch applications to let parents know they can receive free and reduced lunches and breakfasts."
The staff also does catering for school events, and that effort could be expanded, Mayernik said. But the first mission is to meet the daily needs of students.
"We're trying to make money," she said. "We can certainly run programs outside the school, but we're busy meeting school nutrition needs.
"We use the NutriKids analysis system to make sure our menu items are complying with state and federal nutrition standards," Mayernik said. That includes daily whole grains, fresh fruit, meat or other protein and vegetables, with milk also available. "We have to ask 'Are our meals balanced and do they meet calorie restrictions?'"
Mayernik's staff can also work out individual meal plans for students with dietary restrictions.
"We're looking at what students want," Mayernik said. The a la cart lines feature pizzas, French fries, chicken sandwiches, cookies and other options.
"We're looking at vendors who can supply healthy items at a good cost," Mayernik said. "We have to adjust with fluctuating prices and that's a challenge."
While the lunch rooms don't have vending machines, schools are allowed to have their own, though they can't be turned on until after lunch. Mayernik said that's just one source of competition for youth's appetites and she relies on input to serve up the best meals possible.
 "I couldn't do this job without the staff's hard work," she said. "They have a relationship with the children and school administration and I'm open to feedback. I believe a lot of kids are bored with pizzas and fries because it's offered so many times, but if they buy it, we have to supply it. We want to try different things, but we have to make sure it's meeting guidelines."
Mayernik said not only do nutritional requirements come under review, but also portion sizes relative to the age of the students.
There are 48 cafeteria and nutrition workers in the school system, and they are also required to drive buses, which affects their kitchen duties. The lunch budget is $2.5 million a year.
"My top priority next week is to see where the money is coming from and where it's going, what food items are selling and what's not and doing an assessment of the staff and their needs," Mayernik said.
Mayernik said child nutrition is a business because it must generate its own funding. "With that being said, this is why I would like student and parent input," she said. "It's a community problem. Food is one of the most personal choices we make. There are some parents out there who give money to their children to buy pizza because it makes them happy. The whole reason the a la cart lines exist is because when we looked at students' eating habits. That's what they want. When you're hungry, you want the fat and the salt."
Mayernik said eating habits change as students age. The amount of time allotted for lunch also factors into the serving set-up and convenience. For example, high school students get 25 minutes for lunch, and that includes social time as well as eating time, Mayernik said.
"Unhealthy students cannot learn," Mayernik said. "We see that when students don't eat breakfast. Their test scores go down. We try to offer them something here. Something is better than nothing. Can we meet those needs within financial restraints? We'd love to, but right now in child nutrition, we're taking it one bite at a time."
She also hopes more parents and students see the benefit of school lunches, which offer more menu choices and variety than ever before.
"Ideally, we'd love to have every student eat school lunch and school breakfast and relieve parents of the responsibility of packing a school lunch," Mayernik said.
Mayernik said there were mixed messages in child nutrition because the system has to introduce well-balanced foods with what students want, as well as a stronger tie-in with education and serving as role models in eating habit.
"We try to say 'No food is bad food,'" she said. "It's about balance. Every day, we have grilled cheese and peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches available. We're giving them options. It's up to them to come in and see what we've got."
With about 1,400 students at the high school, about 350 are eating cafeteria food each day. In elementary schools, the percentage is higher. Mayernik said despite the low cost of meals, the cafeteria competed with home lunches and off-campus options. Adults can eat in the lunch rooms for $3.25 a meal, which Mayernik said was a bargain.
Reduced breakfast prices, based on income guidelines and household size, are 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch. "In hard economic times, it's worth filling out an application," Mayernik said. "I encourage everyone who think they might qualify for free and reduced lunches to apply."
To talk with Mayernik about school lunches, call (828) 264-7190.