recipes – TrayTalk.org

South Carolina Students Serve Up Creativity in Culinary Competition

Students from the School District of Pickens County (SC) offered up their best culinary creations in hopes of impressing the taste buds of judges in the Healthy Salad and Sandwich Culinary Competition. The annual event is designed to provide students with hands-on education in cooking, recipe development and producing and serving recipes in large quantities.

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.

Michigan Schools’ Culinary Program Provides Glimpse of Nutrition Program

Career Tech Center students from Muskegon County Schools are enjoying a scrumptious yet practical education in preparing and serving locally-grown foods and experiencing a day in the life of food service managers, all while earning credit for select local colleges.

The yearlong Hospitality and Food Management program at the Career Tech Center is designed for high school juniors and seniors, different lessons are implemented every eight weeks. This month, students are creating recipes and receiving feedback on which recipes to alter. In-class focus groups and taste-tests will be held among students of all ages to determine which offerings will be featured at a school-wide event held before Thanksgiving. Students also job shadow food service professionals to gain invaluable on-the-job experience for those considering food, beverage and hospitality professions.

Artificial Intelligence in School Menu Planning

The expertise and compassion of school chefs and kitchen staff will always be at the heart of the school cafeteria, finding creative ways to deliver meals and student smiles. Some school nutrition departments are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as an extra support resource to increase efficiencies, tap into new creative ideas or help solve kitchen dilemmas.

Keeping MS Students Excited with New Menu Options

Scratch-made tomato bisque, charcuterie trays and peanut butter yogurt dip are just a few of the new offerings on the menu for students of DeSoto County Schools in Mississippi. This year, Child Nutrition Director Alex Hallmark hired a registered dietitian and worked with the district’s nutrition team to update breakfast and lunch options so the students would not get bored with school meals. Student feedback has been so positive, that many of the dishes are being served regularly, with new ideas in the works for the future.