Cafeteria Directors work hard for the students. I've found that many of them do a lot more for the students than just feed them. They encourage them, they're a sounding board for their problems, and they bring a little bit of home to them.

One thing's for sure, every meal I ate at a school cafeteria was far better than my own cooking. In fact, at the beginning of the tour I had said that I would travel thousands of miles for a good meal, and I have. And I didn't need a single antacid.

Another thing I noticed was that in many of the schools, the cafeteria directors knew most of the students by name. Some even would buy their lunches out of their own money if a student forgot to bring lunch money that day. This is commitment above and beyond the call of duty.

The cafeteria director is the unsung hero of America. Just look at all the people they’ve fed throughout history — presidents, celebrities, astronauts, inventors, Pulitzer Prize winners, Millionaires, billionaires, bus drivers, policemen, mailmen, business owners, moms, dads, everyone you can think of probably grew up eating at a school cafeteria somewhere. And not only did they survive; they thrived to become some pretty impressive citizens. Obviously, the cafeteria directors of the world must have done something right.

My journey across America has taken me to public schools, private schools, home schools, junior high, high school, and college, and I’m happy to report that I didn’t get sick once.

And the next time you see your cafeteria director or any cafeteria worker, I hope that you’ll say thanks for all they do. It’s often a thankless job, but it’s an important one, and most of them really do take pride in their work and want to serve the very best food they can.

So, who has the best school cafeteria food in America? The tally is in and here are the results. The envelope please . . .

The Cafeteria Lady’s Best School Cafeteria Food in America Contest Results

Overall Winners:

Third Place:
Christian Brothers Academy
Syracuse, N.Y.

Second Place:
Inter-Lakes Junior and Senior High School
Meredith, N.H.

First:
Lighthouse Academy
Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Honorable Mentions

BEST BREAD ITEM:
Karen Dalzell’s Bran Muffins
Tori Dalzell’s home school
Alabaster, Alabama

BEST SOUP:
Clam Chowder
Christian Brothers Academy
Syracuse (DeWitt), N.Y.

And

Lila Bareford’s Fish Chowder
Skylar Bareford’s home school
Stonington, Conn.

BEST SANDWICH:
Egg Salad Sandwich
King’s School
Seattle (Shoreline), Wash.

MOST CREATIVE FOOD ITEM:
Salmon Pea Wiggles
Inter-Lakes Junior and Senior High School
Meredith, N.H.

BEST SALAD:
Noodle Salad
Kirkwood High School
Kirkwood, Mo.

BEST FRENCH FRIES:
Seasoned French Fries
Lemoille Union School
Hyde Park, Vt.

BEST DESSERT:
Tammye Cameron’s Apple Huckleberry Crisp
Lighthouse Academy
Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

BEST CAFETERIA SETTING:
Flagler College
St. Augustine, Fla.

And

Lakota West High School
West Chester, Ohio

MOST ENTHUSIASTIC CAFETERIA DIRECTOR:
Dan Corey
Inter-Lakes Junior and Senior High School
Meredith, N.H.

I want to thank those who have taken turns assisting and traveling with me — my husband Russ, my daughter-in-law Crystal, my granddaughter Lily, and my sister Melva. Thanks to O’Charley’s restaurants, Chick Fil-A, Chuck and Jan Tilley of Atlanta Fest, Focus on the Family, Lillenas Publishing, Kathy Troccoli, Mark Lowry, Torry Martin, and whoever else helped with the tour in any way. And a big thank you to all the girls who wrote and invited me to their school to sample their cafeteria food. I wish I could have visited each and every school, but time constraints just wouldn’t allow it.

Note: The slumber party contest winners will be announced in June 2006.