The Future of School Food
it may take to serve fresh foods from scratch . We have demonstrated that a scratch-cooking foodservice program can be achieved with the funding that is already in place .
Once the menu has been built and we know what we want to cook , serve , store and hold for different day parts , then the kitchen may be assessed to determine if any remodeling will be needed . Most people go to remodeling first because it looks like something is happening . But if you don ’ t assess and design based on menu , these decisions will result in wasting money or overspending . A peak into existing school districts will reveal that most kitchens are underutilized based upon how the district currently feeds students . Resources are literally being wasted .
START COOKING !
Once the ingredients are sourced and the menu is planned then we start cooking ! Here is where the edge of the knife comes in . It must be sharp and fast
( or get fast ). Fresh ingredients heading towards local and organic are key to success . Direction and leadership for the kitchen team will result in confidence that they can ‘ scratch-cook ’ in real-time so the food is served at the height of flavor , it looks great and kids eat it ! The act ( s ) of growing , harvesting , cooking and eating are at the center of all we are . The act of cooking homemade meals stirs memories , makes memories and creates a social well being ( of sorts ) that instills so many healthy things in our lives .
The bottom line is that we need to see happy people wielding knives and cutting boards in the kitchen . There is a special kind of joy a child feels when they see someone cares enough to take the time and effort to cook a good meal or bake a fresh treat . The other by-product is happy , proud employees .
MEASURE WASTE
Waste measurement is key to identifying success or failure in the front and back of the house .
The information must be processed ( used ) regularly to be of value . In one study ( Punahou School on Oahu in 2008 ). Student waste was measured for several days . One day the waste was pushing 40 %. Since it was the last day we let students know why we were weighing the waste . Several felt the need to explain the reason for their waste that particular day . It led to some very interesting conversation about why food was wasted . In this case , tofu was the main entrée ( commodity ) and it was slathered in teriyaki sauce . The kids simply ate around it .
The old adage ‘ the way to a man ’ s heart is though his stomach ’ is still true today except that it should be modified to say ‘ the way to a healthy heart is through healthy food and lifestyle . Studies have shown that having a chef or culinary presence in the school cafeteria to interact with students through taste tests and demonstrations is beneficial . A 2012 study conducted in Boston Public Schools found that middle school students eating in school cafeterias with chefs / culinary leadership were more likely to eat whole grains , and consumed more servings of vegetables per day than students in cafeterias without chefs .
In the end it ’ s all about serving great food in a sustainable system . Responsibility is not on the food service workers alone , but rather it is a shared responsibility with the school and families as well . Growing happy , healthy children should be integrated into every aspect of the school and at home . Involving stakeholders creates ownership and food can be the common thread . Schools across the
EDspaces 2016 Speaker : GREG AND FELLOW PARTNERS will be presenting Envisioning the Future of School Food on Wednesday , November 2 and Thursday , November 3 at 3:00 PM .
country are struggling to keep enrollment up due to charter schools and open enrollment . Parents and students have more choices that ever . All things being equal food quality can play an important role in the decision-making process .
Devising a new strategy for great school food takes commitment , but it is worth the hard work to have healthy students who are engaged and better prepared to learn . It is possible to aim for a higher standard for the students we are feeding and honor the earth for giving us sustenance , and each other by remembering that we did not get to the fast paced , processed food world overnight . By combining our commitment , respect , determination , and hard work , our children will learn about healthy food choices . n
CHEF GREG CHRISTIAN is a sustainable foodservice consultant , chef , author , and entrepreneur . His company , Beyond Green Sustainable Food Partners , provides measured strategies and solutions for organizations interested in making the switch to more sustainable foodservice platforms . The company is also a local foodservice provider for the greater Chicago community . Learn more at www . beyondgreenpartners . com /.
14 essentials | summer 2016