Norwich — About a dozen elementary and middle school students gave good reviews of the federally funded free summer breakfast and lunch programs to U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, on Friday — including the broccoli.

“We are working on this program right now,” Courtney told the youths of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program that is expected to pay for more than 30,000 free meals this summer to Norwich youths at 36 different locations.

“How's the food?” Courtney asked the students. “That's the important question.”

“Excellent!” incoming fifth-grader Marcus Hall said of the pizza slice and broccoli he chose for lunch Friday. He told the congressman that he likes broccoli and said his favorite lunch option is the chicken patty.

Matthew Brewer, also going into fifth grade, said the pizza is his favorite. He said he comes to the lunch program every summer.

Students on Friday could choose from among three lunch options: a pizza slice with a side of broccoli; or a yogurt, cheese stick, crackers and broccoli; or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a cheese stick and broccoli. All came with a small carton of milk or juice.

Questions to Courtney quickly veered to other topics: How old is President Obama? Michelle Obama? How old do you have to be to run for president?

Incoming seventh-grader Paul Brown, 12, wanted to know if a 12-year-old could run for president.

“No,” Courtney responded, but he added that while the minimum age to run for president is 35, Brown or the other students in the room could try to run for Congress when they reach 25.

Norwich Public Schools Food Services Director Erin Perpetua said she expects this year's total meals served to surpass last year's 33,000 meals — including breakfast, lunch and, in a few sites, supper.

As of a week ago Friday, 27,080 meals had been served this summer.

The food service receives reimbursement for the program's costs from the USDA, and the program breaks even, Perpetua said. She said it was reimbursed $92,376 for last summer.

Food services staff prepare the meals at four kitchens in the school system and distribute the lunches in large blue zippered coolers to 26 “open” sites, such as schoolyards, playgrounds and Otis Library.

Another 10 “closed” sites, including the Kelly Middle School cafeteria, offer meals for children enrolled in summer school programs.

Kelly Middle School, one of the largest summer meal sites in the region, serves about 130 breakfasts and 175 lunches per day to students enrolled in the school program and to other youths at summer Recreation Department programs a short walk from the school.

Perpetua said there is plenty of need for the free meal program among low-income Norwich families.

She said she hopes to pursue expanding the program into neighborhoods offering suppers to families year-round, perhaps using a refurbished old school bus and even refitting the bus so that families could eat on the heated bus on cold winter nights.

c.bessette@theday.com