{"id":17395,"date":"2025-11-25T10:26:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T20:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/?p=17395"},"modified":"2025-12-01T15:40:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T01:40:05","slug":"2025-hawaii-public-schools-lunches-get-festive-with-freshly-baked-pumpkin-pie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/vi\/2025-hawaii-public-schools-lunches-get-festive-with-freshly-baked-pumpkin-pie\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawai\u2018i public school lunches get festive with freshly baked pumpkin pie"},"content":{"rendered":"

K\u0100NE\u02bbOHE \u2014  This November, Hawai\u2018i public school cafeterias added a special Thanksgiving treat to their traditional turkey lunch \u2014 a slice of freshly baked pumpkin pie served alongside roast turkey with gravy, whipped potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables and a whole wheat roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Windward side of O\u02bbahu, King Intermediate and \u02bb\u0100huimanu Elementary students were especially thankful for the festive, homemade pie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy favorite part of today’s lunch was the pumpkin pie,\u201d said \u02bb\u0100huimanu Elementary third-grader Emily Tamanaha. \u201cIt really was good, so I ate it really fast. And the pumpkin was really savory, and the crust was a little bit crispy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eighth-grader, Nixon Crawford at King Intermediate agreed. \u201cMy favorite part of the lunch was probably the pumpkin pie because we never usually have it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was sweet, crunchy at the bottom, and the pumpkin, it actually tastes like a pumpkin pie, not like store-bought.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

King Intermediate baker Hilina\u2018i Ka\u2018ahu and cook Mahealani Phillips were grateful to serve the pre-Thanksgiving meal to the students at school knowing that not all students have access to a traditional holiday meal at home. Their cafeteria regularly prepares meals for both King Intermediate and \u02bb\u0100huimanu Elementary students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, times are rough, so even when we serve them pre-Thanksgiving, they’re grateful,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cAnd they’re like, \u2018Oh, you know, we don’t know if we’re going to have Thanksgiving.\u2019 or \u2018Oh, we’re probably not going to have pie.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt least we can give it to them here, and they can say, \u2018We had Thanksgiving at school\u2019,\u201d added Ka\u02bbahu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gratitude extended both ways, with many students expressing appreciation for their school meals. \u201cI’m really thankful for all the food that the lunch ladies give us,\u201d said \u02bb\u0100huimanu Elementary third-grader Lolawren Vierra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools were also encouraged to feature locally grown vegetables, when available, as part of the Department\u2019s broader farm-to-school initiative. This statewide effort promotes food sustainability, supports local agriculture, and aligns with M\u00e0n 175<\/a>\u2019s goals to improve student health. King Intermediate and \u02bb\u0100huimanu Elementary highlighted fresh, local roasted zucchini as part of their holiday meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hawai\u2018i\u2019s public schools are among the state\u2019s largest institutional consumers of food, serving more than 100,000 student meals each day. The Department continues to collaborate with local farmers and vendors statewide to expand the use of fresh, locally grown produce across all schools on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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