Could ethnic foods become a big deal at lunch time in Highline schools? Chris Neal, director of nutrition services, and Seattle schools nutrition director Anita Finch have designed a test project to serve ethnic foods as part of school lunches.

The project recently obtained a three-year grant -- called STEPS to Health, King County -- from the Centers for Disease Control.

As part of the grant, Kirsten Frandsen was hired to coordinate the project and work with the Highline, Tukwila and Seattle school districts to promote the health of ethnic populations.

All 135 Highline and Seattle schools are involved in the ethnic foods project.

With so many students from different countries, Neal noted, Highline staffers wanted to introduce foods from all over.

"It is also a way for students to know more about some of these countries," Neal added. "Besides, the best way to learn about other countries is by eating their food."

Part of Frandsen's job is to collect recipes from students in Highline and Seattle. She also tests them with the students to see if they remain tasty when prepared in large qualities.

A Vietnamese sandwich led off the pilot project in October. An Xuyen Bakery in Sea Tac supplied the bread. Somali spaghetti was the ethnic selection in November.

"The kids really liked it," Neal reported.

With a shortened school schedule, the ethnic lunch project skipped December.

But, spicy Thai chicken and green beans will be on the Jan. 26 menu.

Teachers have resource sheets that provide lesson plan ideas incorporating food, health and ethnic diversity.

Information is also given on the back of the menus relating to the area that is being featured that month.

Four regions -- South Pacific Island, Latin America, Africa, and Asia -- are slated to be represented after January.

"We're developing menus for each region for the remainder of the school year," Frandsen added.