Ethnic inspired meals – TrayTalk.org

Teaming up to Enhance Scratch-Made Menus for WA Students

The Ellensburg School District, located in central Washington, is revamping school meals for its 3,300 students across six schools. Working to transform offerings with more scratch-made recipes, vegetarian options and locally sourced meats and produce, the team is now led by a dietitian and chef partnering to develop meals that are nutritious and flavorful.

Together, they have successfully introduced popular dishes such as miso-ginger ramen with tofu or beef, scratch-made Alfredo pasta, vegetarian enchiladas and build-your-own bowls.

Produce Auction Helps PA District Serve Up More Local Foods

“Going once, going twice…sold to the Manheim Township School District!”

That phrase is heard weekly at a local produce auction in Pennsylvania, where the district is working to elevate school meals with a focus on fresh, local produce. The auction features local farms, many from the Amish community, offering colorful, seasonal fruits and vegetables that are bid on to be served in school meals that nourish the district’s 6,200 students.

School Meal Planners Share Lunch Tray Ideas for the Fall

Earlier this summer, Alamo City served up more than just Tex-Mex; it provided inspiration and fresh recipe ideas to fuel school nutrition teams from across the country.

More than 6,000 school nutrition professionals gathered in San Antonio from July 13–15 for the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) Annual National Conference (ANC), the largest event of its kind in the country. ANC gave attendees a firsthand look at the tools, techniques, and tastes shaping the school meals.

School meal planners filled the nation’s largest exhibit hall in school nutrition to visit nearly 360 exhibits. From the moment doors opened, attendees sampled new recipes, foods and beverages for lunch trays, previewed cutting-edge kitchen equipment to help prepare and serve meals and exchanged ideas on replicating restaurant trends to meet school nutrition guidelines.

Students in WI Eat Their Way Across the Globe

While students in Wisconsin’s Prescott School District were not afforded the opportunity to sail in a gondola in Venice or visit England’s Buckingham Palace, their tastebuds got a chance to take a tour of the world via delectable cuisine spanning the globe.

The students recently took part in the Around the World in 80 Trays program, which encourages school nutrition programs statewide to incorporate international cuisines and culturally-significant meals into their menus.

Cobb County School Menus Go Global

The more than 900 school food service team members at Cobb County School District in Georgia have embraced the challenge of creating a menu filled with nutritious and delicious foods representing cultures from around the globe and ensuring menus are constantly evolving.

Those efforts culminate to offer students a culinary tour of the globe!

Plant-based Options Help Cater to VA Students’ Needs

When planning menus, the nutrition team at Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia remains mindful that their student body comes from 119 different countries. To help serve many different dietary needs, district menus include daily plant-based meals with a variety of options for students.

“When students come through our lunch lines, we want them to taste something from their home. We incorporate herbs, spices and entrees with global inclusivity,” said Dr. Eric Coleman, MBA, M.Ed, CSC, Director, Office of School Nutrition Services for Alexandria City Public Schools.

Minnesota Thursday Program Kicks Off Black History Month

Food can be a window into different cultures and a learning tool to introduce students to meals not typically served within their homes. To that end, students in 16 schools across Roseville Area and St. Anthony Schools (MN) were treated to made-from-scratch menu items from St. Paul-based West Indies Soul Food chef Sharon Richards-Noel on Feb. 1^st in conjunction with Black History Month. The menu included sizzling jerk chicken drumsticks, seasoned curried rice, and delicious sides of Caribbean black beans and watermelon radishes.

Seattle Schools Source Salmon from Native American Tribe

Many school nutrition programs were forced to take a closer look at how they operate and where they source their food following pandemic-related supply chain challenges. For Seattle Public Schools (WA), that meant new opportunities to consider local sources to supplement shortages. Through assistance from Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE), the district now serves locally caught salmon for lunch several times a year from Muckleshoot Seafood Products, a company owned by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

Learning Extends to the Lunchroom in Minnesota

The cafeterias of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools (MN) not only serve nutritious foods, they also work to offer students experiential learning opportunities in the cafeteria. The nutrition program introduces students to culturally relevant foods through a monthly program and has developed a life skills lesson component to a coffee delivery program at the high school. Through regular sampling in the cafeteria, events with local farmers and student gardens, the nutrition program engages students of all different ages in nutrition education.

VA Team Engages Students Outside the Cafeteria

The school nutrition team in Harrisonburg City Public Schools (VA) prepares more than just healthy school meals during the school day. Team members engage with their students through community initiatives, enrichment programs, after-school meal service as well as weekend programs. According to the nutrition director, members of the team love extra opportunities to work with the students, even if it means volunteering after school hours.

Harrisonburg’s nutrition team supports an Emerging Chefs program for young members of the community involved in the On the Road Collaborative. The non-profit organization based in Harrisonburg works with underserved youth and shows them different career paths.