Food Services
At Whitsons, we believe that every meal should be a celebration of real ingredients and authentic flavors. That's why our meals are crafted with care and precision, using traditional scratch-cooking methods that respect the essence of real, fresh, wholesome food packed with nutrition and natural ingredients.
This approach reflects our commitment to personalizing high-quality, innovative, and culturally appropriate meals for each of our communities. We believe it is important to serve the same kinds of meals to our customers that we would serve to our own family, and they would serve to theirs. We are here to serve you and your child(ren)'s needs and look forward to being a part of your community for many years to come!
Liz Litjes, PSD Food Service/Whitsons General Manager
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Phone: 610-847-5131 x5002
Real Meals™ By Whitsons
Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time™, we are dedicated to nourishing students within the communities that we serve with delicious meals made from scratch using local ingredients whenever possible. Real Meals™ by Whitsons are also made fresh with wholesome ingredients the way nature intended and they are fueling the minds of students across the country.
Understanding School Meals
School meals are a healthy option, a great value, and convenient for busy families!
--> The National School Lunch & Breakfast Program (NSLP and SBP) are federally funded programs providing nutritionally balanced meals to children each school day.
--> The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) ensures that meals are healthy and well balanced and provide students with all the nutrition they need to succeed at school. Some things you can expect to see from Whitsons includes: whole grain offerings, variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, focus on lean protein choices, smart snack options, fat-free and low-fat milk, and reduced sodium content.
--> All student meals include: Protein Choice, Fresh Vegetable Choice, Grain Choice, Fruit Choice, and Milk Choice.
Real Meals™ Cafes
Our interactive Real Meals™ healthy eating program motivates and inspires students to consider the many benefits healthy eating and exercise have on their growing bodies and minds. We are on a journey to help students develop positive self-esteem and healthy eating habits by presenting health living as a lifelong mindset. It's all about making the connection between food and healthy habits at a young age.
At elementary schools, our award-winning Nutrition Safari® program will introduce younger students to lovable animal characters to teach them about selecting healthy choices from each different food group for a well-balanced diet. The program's mission is to encourage students to develop lifelong healthy eating habits.
At secondary schools, monthly Flaves and special event Pop-up Shops will feature trendy menus items and activities to engage older students. Whitsons has also invested in professional signage and merchandising that creates a food court-style environment. It's like going out to lunch without ever leaving the building. Our goal is to entice students to make nutritious and delicious meal choices.
Our Menus
Healthy school meals are a critical component to the overall educational experience, nourishing the body, and setting the stage for a day of learning and knowledge retention.
We offer age-appropriate lunch menu options at each grade level, with increasingly more options at the older grade levels as students mature and learn how to make healthier choices.
--> At the elementary school level, we strive to help educate and guide younger students to make balanced meal choices by offering familiar “kid-friendly” foods made with healthier ingredients.
--> For secondary school students, we offer a food-court style environment with a wide variety of wholesome menu choices.
Whitsons offers a variety of meal choices and Smart Snack options that meet NSLBP, HHFKA, and state nutrition guidelines, and are analyzed and approved by a Registered Dietitian. We also collaborate with parents, students, and school nurses to accommodate the dietary requirements of students with food allergies and other special diets.
Our interactive menus may be found online at www.fdmealplanner.com, and they will provide you with all the nutritional and allergen information you will need to plan your child(ren)s' school meals. You can also download the FD Meal Planner app on your smartphone for convenient access.
Helpful Hints
Breakfast:
Elementary Schools $1.75 *Breakfast is free to all students Middle School/High School $2.00 *Breakfast is free to all students
Lunch:
Elementary Schools $2.75 Middle School/High School $3.25
NOTES ABOUT FREE AND REDUCED PRICE LUNCH BENEFITS
Notes about free and reduced price lunch benefits: Students who previously qualified under the National School Lunch Program Free and Reduced meal benefit at the end of the 23-24 School year will continue to receive the same benefits for the first 30 school days in session of the 24-25 School year. If you have not been approved through the application process, or the Direct Certification notification, your child will be charged a full meal price for their purchase until a new application approval is attained.
If you believe that your family may qualify, we urge you to apply for benefits. Students are protected from overt identification by staff and by a computerized Point-of-sale system. Every student automatically has an account and everyone makes purchases in the same manner. Complete a Free & reduced application, (available on the PSD web-site) at the beginning of the 24-25 SY or you may apply on line at schoolcafe.com. Please follow the directions carefully to ensure receipt of the correct benefits for your family. We will provide an application response and notify you through your email.
COMPUTERIZED POINT-OF-SALE, AND MEAL ACCOUNT PAYMENTS
This cashless system speeds up the service lines by providing a debit account for student purchases, eliminating the need for students to handle cash or checks during meal service time.
DEPOSITS TO STUDENT ACCOUNTS
Please send or bring cash or checks to school for the cafeteria crew chief to deposit into the account. Envelopes will be provided, and we ask that payments are made in the morning before school begins. You may also pay by check made payable to Palisades Food Service, 20 School Drive Kintnersville Pa. 18930. You may also manage student meal accounts on line through schoolcafe.com
Positive funds in the student account carry over from year to year, and from school to school within the district. Refunds for balances will be made for students (without siblings), who graduate or leave the district for some reason. Balances will be first transferred to a sibling, if possible. Refunds will not be made for balances of $5.00 or less.
With the exception of end of year, the school district does not automatically move monies from one sibling to another. If you need to request this to occur, please provide this request in writing, a note or email providing which student to debit and which student to transfer the funds to. This transaction does not occur during meal service or at the school.
*We will be offering all students free breakfast again this school year. This will be funded through the State budget. Additionally, if you were qualified for reduced priced meals, you will be entitled to free meals.
ACCOUNT BALANCE NOTICES
If a student has charged a meal or other item to an account that is not funded, we will send out a weekly balance due notice electronically. Accounts will need funds for snacks or a la carte items to be purchased. Complete meals are never denied for a student due to lack of funds. We may deny a purchase of a snack or a la carte item due to lack of funds. After 6 meals are charged without sufficient funds in the account, the Food Service Department will make contact with the home to review payment arrangements. Students are not automatically told of their account balance in line. However, students grade 9-12, can receive notification from the cashier.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:
USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
1. Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2.Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3.Email:
[email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
ATTENTION: If you speak Spanish, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Contact your child's school.
ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Comuníquese con la escuela de su niño.
PSD Food Service/Whitsons General Manager:
Liz Litjes
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Phone: 610-847-5131 x5002