The Portland Public Schools is excited to announce that it is now serving halal meals as a daily lunch option.

The district joins South Portland and Westbrook schools in offering halal meals. However, the Portland Public Schools stands out in providing halal options at all its schools, not just at the high school level.

Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or allowed. It is most often used to refer to foods that are permissible for Muslims to consume. For food to be considered halal, it must not only be free of forbidden (haram) ingredients like pork or alcohol, but there are also rules and standards around preparation and cleanliness. The careful ingredient checks required for halal cooking often lead to overall healthier, more inclusive menus that all students can enjoy – not just students who follow a halal way of eating.

For example, the tasty new halal offerings at PPS will range from halal beef and bean burritos with a local tomatillo sauce to halal popcorn chicken. The new menu will also include items that are both halal and vegan, such as veggie burgers, Cajun beans and rice, and chickpea or tofu curry with rice – so provide more options for students who are vegan or vegetarian. Daily halal options also will continue to include hummus and pita/pretzels and sunbutter sandwiches with roasted chickpeas, and a salad bar. PPS’ Food Service team also plans to intermittently offer or taste test new halal recipes or products, including local Maine fish options.

All halal meal items will be labeled with a green sticker, indicating that they were prepared at the district’s now-certified-halal central kitchen.

"As Maine's largest and most diverse school district, the Portland Public Schools is committed to creating a joyful, rigorous, and safe learning experience for all students," Superintendent Ryan Scallon said. "Our commitment to equity extends to every part of the school experience, including the lunchroom. These delicious halal options are a great inclusive way to ensure every student is able to partake in our school meals. Kudos to our Food Service team for all their hard work in making these meal options a reality.”

“We are thrilled to be able to make halal meals available to our students,” said Food Service Director Jennifer Montague. “This is something that has been identified as a priority by our community and students. It is challenging for students to succeed when they are hungry, yet many of our Muslim students – a number of whom come from low-income and food-insecure households – couldn’t eat our free school meals because of the lack of suitable halal options. Now, our daily halal lunch offerings will help ensure all our students get the nutritious food they need to fuel learning.”

PPS began serving the halal lunch options on April 1. So far, the reception has been very positive, Montague said.

Montague said the district has been working with the Halal School Meals Network and the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA)to bring certified halal meals to Portland's schools over the past three years. More information can be found at this Halal School Meals Network FAQ.

Montague added that offering halal meals is “just one of many changes we are making to school food, based on feedback we've taken from parents, teachers and,  most importantly, students." Other examples include:

●      Increasing the amount of scratch cooking at central kitchen and investing in training cooking staff to make that transition. Items the kitchen is now preparing from scratch include a focaccia-style pizza made with Maine grains, homemade chili, and more culturally relevant meals such as jerk chicken with plantains and rice.

●      Improving the nutrition of breakfast by reducing sugary options and increasing fiber and protein. That’s one of the biggest priorities this year.

●      Collaborating with community partners. For example, empanadas prepared by Maiz restaurant will be served this month. This collaboration was inspired by King Middle School students, who presented recipes for new items they wanted to see in the lunchroom as part of a class project.

If you have questions, please contact us at communications@portlandschools.org

The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest school district, with nearly 6,500 students, and it’s also the most diverse. About one-third of the district’s students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken—a total of 59 languages. Approximately 47 percent of the district’s students are white and 53 percent are students of color. More than half of all PPS students are economically disadvantaged.