CENTRE COUNTY, Pa.—School lunch is not what it used to be.
The jokes have written themselves over the years, stereotyping cafeteria meals ladled up by lunch ladies, trays filled with mystery meat and canned fruit cocktail, with ketchup counted as a vegetable.
A peek into Centre County lunchrooms tells a different story. State College high school students feasted on baked sweet potatoes and General Tso’s chicken last week. At Bald Eagle Area schools, chef salads with leafy romaine lettuce are a daily staple. At Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania Charter School, the fruits are fresh watermelon and sliced oranges.