Former NFL player trades his football for food
Ex-NFL star Jared Veldheer has taken on a new challenge – tackling the lunch menu at his kids’ school.
When the 6-foot-8 lineman retired from football, he was looking for something new. It arrived in the form of a job as the kitchen director at St. Paul the Apostle School in Michigan. Jared is responsible for feeding some 300 kids every school day, and he finds the experience much like playing professional sports. It requires a lot of preparation, planning and sticking to a tight schedule.
Watch the video to see Jared Veldheer serve up some great school meals.
Jared played for several teams during his NFL career, including the Packers, Broncos and Raiders. But he’s always loved cooking and eating. And now, he’s sharing that love with his two children and their classmates.
His main goal is to make the most enjoyable and nutritious meals possible. Of course, it’s not always easy getting kids to eat healthily. So, to encourage the students to try new things, he’s created lunch themes, such as Taco Tuesday, World Wednesday and Breakfast Thursdays.
Sprinkled among the usual menu items are meals like beef bulgogi, mashed cauliflower and German sausage and sauerkraut. And the students have become increasingly excited to see what he cooks up next.
The lunchroom changes have also been welcomed by the staff and the parents. Indeed, many of them volunteer to help prepare and serve the food.
It’s fair to say Jared is making a difference at St. Paul the Apostle School. And he’s doing so one nutritious meal at a time.