When it comes to developing new meals to feature on your school menu, one of the biggest questions (maybe just behind “does this meet nutrition standards?”) is “will the kids actually eat and enjoy this?”

Sometimes it’s easy to answer—foods like pizza, chicken wings and pasta are a pretty safe bet, but what about chicken shawarma, chana masala, gyros or banh mi? Those foods would almost certainly appeal to some students, whether it’s the adventurous eaters or kids from the culture a food originates from, but if a food falls far outside the realm of a tried-and-true school meal staple, committing to featuring it on your menu might not seem like the right move...