Newton Public Schools food provider Chartwells brought a student choice activity to the North cafeteria, allowing students to taste multiple restaurant inspired foods before voting on which one they’d like featured on the menu, Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Chartwells food display included a chicken curry with spiced vegetables and a kung pao chicken stir fry. Students were given a sample of both the curry and stir fry, and were provided with voting cards which could be dropped in the ballot box associated with their favorite dish.

The votes were later counted to reveal that the kung pao chicken had won with 272 student votes to the curry’s 57.

“We want students to have a say in what’s on the lunch menu,” said Chartwells Student Engagement and Sustainability Manager Nicole Brooks. 

Brooks added that she hopes activities like this will encourage more students to try school lunches and make lunchtime a more positive experience.

“I think it’s nice that the school is branching out and introducing people to food from different cultures,” said freshman Annalise Ngo. 

Brooks explained that Chartwells has a database full of recipes for events that are student friendly, and she randomly chooses ones that she thinks will be popular.

“I know that there is a large population of Asian students at this school so I thought it would be nice to choose options from that culture, and these are two of my favorite recipes,” Brooks said.

Freshman Rachel Wang said that the whole activity was a nice experience and she really enjoyed trying new things, but many of her classmates’ disagree.

Wang said that many of her friends who tried the food did not like it and many others would not even taste it.

“I think the spices are something you either love or hate,” said Wang. “It really depends on the person.”