Daniel Beauchamp pedals a “smoothie bike” at an event introducing the community to Chartwells as the Home Grown Springfield partner, providing food to the city’s public schools.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — While many children hula hooped and played with flying discs and drop four games near the splash pad at Forest Park, Daniel Beauchamp was hard at work. He hopped onto a specially equipped stationary bicycle and began pedaling. That movement powered the motor of a blender, turning fresh fruits and a little bit of lemon juice into a slushy puree.
Registered Dietician Sophia Papulis picked up the pitcher from the blender and poured the smoothie into a cup. Handing it to Beauchamp, she said, “It’s hard work, but you enjoy the fruits of your labor, literally.”
The smoothie bike station was set up at the Chartwells/Home Grown Springfield Summer Splash Community Event. Home Grown Springfield is the culinary and nutritional program of Springfield Public Schools. The School Department recently changed its operating partner from Sodexo to Chartwells.
Because the city owns the Culinary and Nutrition Center on Cadwell Street where much of the food is made from scratch, the switch to Chartwells was a relatively simple process. Chartwells/Home Grown Springfield General Manager Andrew Stratton said Chartwells kept many of the local employees who had been working with Sodexo, although, he added, they needed to rehire about 370 people.
Chartwells is focused on compliance with United States Department of Agriculture standards, said Regional Dietician Sara Patterson. She said the company has introduced some new recipes, is incorporating more local foods and expanding its diverse menu items for Springfield’s diverse population. There are halal and kosher menus in place and accommodations can be made for anyone with a medically documented dietary requirement.
“Everything is on track to open smoothly,” Patterson said. “We want to make it a seamless transition.” Stratton said Chartwells/Home Grown Springfield will continue to offer Breakfast in the Classroom and lunch, as well as its after school meals, Weekend Backpack and Summer Eats programs, which are designed to feed students outside of school hours.
At the event, Chartwells/Home Grown Springfield was offering meals of chicken street tacos with black beans and pico de gallo, and a side of grilled corn on the cob.
Home Grown Springfield sources its ingredients from several local companies, including Mi Tierra Tortillas in Springfield, Chicopee-based Sweet Babu’s Granola and One Mighty Mill in Lynn. Stratton said, “Twenty-six percent of total food costs are spent with New England farms.”
Papulis explained that Home Grown Springfield having its own culinary center has benefits for the nutrition they can offer students. “We can control the sugar and sodium and the fat because we have that facility. She said the USDA requires a variety of colors in meals because different vitamins and minerals produce those colors in food. She said Chartwells/Home Grown Springfield incorporates seven colors in its meals, she said.
Papulis said, “It’s really a full meal if kids take advantage of all the components, which we encourage.”
