The Oxford School District is rolling out new nutrition initiatives for its students.

Breakfast carts will soon be making their debut after a successful launch at Oxford Middle School. The program, called “Breakfast On-The-Go,” hopes to increase the number of students who eat breakfast before the beginning of the school day.

Tim Howington, director of child nutrition, says that the carts will greet students as they leave the bus and enter the schools in the morning.

“We’re trying to increase the number of kids who eat breakfast by going to them,” Howington said.

The carts will be equipped with insulation and coolers in order to offer hot and cold food.

Additonally, “Breakfast On-The-Go” will offer four food groups to students. They will be able to pick three with a fruit being mandatory.

Howington said that the number of students who eat breakfast at the middle school has tripled since the carts arrived.

The program is poised to expand to the entire district in the near future. Cafeteria managers will meet with principals to establish the best course of action to roll the carts out to students.

Along with the carts, the initiative, Good Food for Oxford Schools, will be looking to bring local foods into the cafeterias.

Program Director Eleanor Green says that GFOS will be trying to connect farmers with Oxford school cafeterias and designing new menus (and salad bars).

These “global menus” will offer items like chicken pesto sandwiches, creole catfish and creamy tomato soups.

GFOS is also looking to establish community cooking classes after school to give students an option to learn about healthier eating and to improve their kitchen skills.

At 5:30 p.m. today, the public is welcome to sample the new creole catfish that GFOS hopes to include on the new menus at the Lunch Tray Town Hall Meeting at Oxford Middle School.