What’s on the menu in the new school year?
The start of the new school year is quickly approaching. School nutrition professionals from across the country recently attended the nation’s largest school food show to bring new ideas to student menus. Customizable meals is a trend many students will see when they head back to the cafeteria.
Read more…
Lettuce for CA district grown in freight farms
An innovative freight container system modified into a vertical hydroponic garden produces just over a thousand heads of lettuce each week, served fresh for Ann Sobrato High School students to enjoy at lunch. The freight farm is just 320 square feet and sits on a concrete slab outside the California school, in Morgan Hill Unified School District.
Read more…
Students Produce and Host School Lunch Madness Contest on Weekly TV Show
Students at Sussex Central High School (DE) held a first-ever school lunch contest on their student-produced weekly show, Central Access TV. Staff and students gave candid interviews describing their favorite school meals and sharing their predictions for a segment called Lunch Madness, a play on the popular March Madness basketball tournament. Read more…
Survey Prompts Major Updates to Nutrition Program
Wayzata Public Schools‘ (MN) nutrition professionals spent the summer of 2018 overhauling the nutrition program in the district’s Culinary Express. They created new school menus, with delicious scratch-made recipes, including homemade chicken noodle and chicken wild rice soup, vegetable lo mein, spicy black beaned burgers, baked ziti and pork carnitas burrito bowls.
While revamping the Culinary Express website, school nutrition staff worked with a local food hub and marketing company to help provide more opportunities for nutrition education, including new graphics, cafeteria posters, food mascots, etc. The innovative changes to their school nutrition program were prompted by survey feedback from parents and staff.
Feeding Students On The Go with 21st Century Technology
When walking the exhibit floor of the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) Annual National Conference (ANC) in Las Vegas last week, it was hard not to notice that technology and making school meals more mobile friendly were two of the biggest trends discussed. Read more…
Specialty Equipment Helps CA District Serve 24,000 School Meals A Day
Students in Modesto City Schools (MCS) in California started classes last week, but school nutrition professionals had been preparing for the new school year all summer long. Something exciting was in store, helping to improve the more than 24,000 meals made daily – new equipment for their specialized bakery. Think about 24,000 meals in terms of a restaurant – what kind of facility is needed to produce that many meals every day? Read more…
Live from the School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference Exhibit Floor
Ever try a whole grain eggroll? How about low-sodium curry chicken sushi roll? Or 13 kinds of rice? A healthier version of chicken and waffles? Read more…
Cafeteria On Wheels Feeds Even More Students Over Summer Months
After a successful pilot program last year, Alachua County Schools in Gainesville (FL) has added a food truck to their free summer meals program, bringing delicious options to neighborhoods in need over the summer months.
The three additional neighborhood stops will serve about 150 children who would otherwise go without these meals over the summer. All children under 18 years old are eligible for free summer lunch, but even adults have shown an interest and are buying from the enticing food truck as well, said Rowe. Read more…
California school district opens bread kitchen with focus on whole grains
Clovis Unified School District (CUSD), in California, has launched a full-scale bread kitchen operating out of its Reyburn Intermediate School. While the district has made its own bread for years, this bread kitchen allows CUSD to produce thousands of dinner rolls, kaiser rolls, pocket sandwiches, etc. – all rich in whole grains to meet nutrition requirements.
Decisions, decisions on lunch options!
Even with a growling tummy, most people at a food court or restaurant require a little time to review the menu options. What are the specials? What comes on the side? Are there options to customize the order?
In a menu with at least 10 entrée options daily, not to mention 15-20 fruit or veggie side dishes, Marietta City Schools (GA) provides students a changing array of options to suit their tastes. Read more…
TrayTalk.org 