Testing our school lunch recipes for the year ahead 

Our Kitchen Specialist, Melinda, and Dietitian, Danae, joined Loaves and Fishes at the start of Term 4 to test 19 dishes in just four hours! 

Reviewing new and existing recipes for next year, the team considered flavour, texture, nutrition and preparation at scale. Beef burgers, lamb tagine with couscous and harvest bake were among the standouts. 

Alongside meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines, recipes need to work across both school lunch models: meals prepared and delivered by Loaves and Fishes, and meals cooked from scratch at schools using ingredients supplied by Loaves and Fishes. Testing helps refine ingredients and methods to suit both approaches. 

Since then, Melinda, Danae and Program Coordinator Jen have also tested dishes with students in Grades 3–6 at Herdsman’s Cove Primary School, gathering firsthand feedback to help shape future menus. 

Testing will continue throughout the term and into the year ahead, with feedback from students and school kitchen teams helping us develop nutritious lunches that students enjoy. 

Thank you to Loaves and Fishes and the students and staff at Herdsman’s Cove Primary School for sharing their expertise, time and feedback!