Centerville Profile: Stephanie Zinger, director, Nutrition Services

Stephanie Zinger has been the director of Student Nutrition Services for Centerville City Schools since 2009.

Zinger has a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Wright State University and a master’s degree from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. She is a state of Ohio Registered Sanitarian and previously worked for the Montgomery County Health Department.

In the past, Zinger has been an assistant basketball coach for Cedarville University and Kenyon College. She is a frequent presenter in the Centerville School Staff Development Program, speaking on the subjects of nutrition and weight management. Zinger and her husband and two daughters reside in Yellow Springs.

What’s the goal of Student Nutrition Services?

The goal is to always be on the vanguard of school nutrition by serving appealing, student-friendly whole foods in an efficient manner. To that end, we get a fresh produce delivery daily so the amazing variety of fruits and vegetables we serve mostly likely arrived in district that morning. We strive to source more premium entrée choices in an ongoing effort to serve the best meals to our students, all the while respecting the nutrition guidelines under which we serve food.

Tell us about school lunch guidelines.

School lunches have to be trans-fat free, low in saturated fat, meet sodium and calorie restrictions but also must be very big in flavor. Student Nutrition Services continues to find ways to do accomplish all that! Last year lovingly and professionally served well over half a million lunches to our students.

What would you tell parents about school meals?

This coming school year, take some pressure off your mornings by letting your students pop in for school lunch. With a minimum of six entrée choices available including salad bars in select schools, there’s never been a better, easier or healthier time to give school meals a try!

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