The Future of Food Service: Time for Change

1. The Future of Food Service: Time for Change A Presentation by: Mary Lundin Cheryl Nash Mary Jo Vene

2. Background • Food and Nutrition Service of U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the National School Lunch Program and provides cash subsidies and free bonus commodities. • The lunches must meet federal nutrition requirements.

3. The Statistics • In 2010, nearly half the children in North America will be overweight or obese (International Journal of Pediatric Obesity). • Obesity is linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some forms of cancer, gallbladder disease, asthma and sleep apnea.

4. Four States that Changed: • California • Florida • Hawaii • New York

5. What did they do? • Added a vegetarian entrée option daily • Emphasized fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes • Offered milk substitute

6. External Support • USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (nine million dollars a year contributed to schools in eight states) • USDA Team Nutrition Program • Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Inc., Campbell Soup Co., Dannon and Pepsi Co. Inc. will begin to promote snacks that meet guidelines by American Heart Association (Bill Clinton initiative).

7. Roadblocks to Health • Financial Support • Lack of Programmatic Support (lawmakers) • Lack of Social Support • Commodity Foods Contradiction • USDA’s Traditional Food Based Menu Planning • Lack of Accountability

8. THE REPORT

9. Process • School Lunch Report Card: A Report by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, August 2006 • Examined 18 major school districts. • Rated their lunch programs based on: • 1) Obesity and Chronic Disease Prevention • 2) Disease Prevention • 3) Health Promotion and Nutrition Initiatives

10. Obesity and Chronic Disease Prevention • Did they meet the USDA requirement of less than 30% calories from fat and less than 10% from saturated fat? • How frequently did they serve healthy low-fat, zero cholesterol entrees?

11. Health Promotion and Nutrition • Did they offer: • Vegetable side dish? • Fruit? • Variety of fruits and or vegetables? • Nondairy beverage?

12. Nutrition Initiatives • Innovative programs • Nutrition education in cafeteria or through food service department • Education about benefits of plant-based diets on menu • Incentives for choosing healthy meals • Vending machines

13. Fairfax County Public SchoolsVirginia(94 out of 100 points, A) • 238 schools, 140,000 students • Rotating variety of vegetarian options • Two entrée salads • Soymilk, 100% juice, water • Food service department teaches nutrition and cooking classes • Online nutrient calculator for parents and students • Nutrition education integral to curriculum K-12

14. Minneapolis Public Schools(67 out of 100 points, D+) • 103 schools and 37,865 students • Vegetarian entrees only twice a week • High-fat dairy products • Some fruit or vegetable offered nearly every day • No major nutrition initiatives

15. Food Policy

16. Developing a School District Food Policy • Practical way to create shared vision • Shared language about needed change • Spells out challenges • Proposes solutions • Engages multiple perspectives • Attitudes toward food & diet developed during childhood

17. Food Policy Curriculum • Designate lunch room as a place learning can take place. • Lunch period is a time learning occurs • Sharing food & participation in physical activity are fundamental experiences for all people • More and more educators recognize the need to have nutritional education a necessary component of the school’s curriculum.

18. Changes in District Food Policies • Changing from “thaw & serve” to “farm to school” model takes time • Menus are the heart of the whole system • Lunch period a window for critical learning & modeling of attitudes toward food

19. Changes (con’t.) • All parties of the district; school board, administrators, staff, and students need to be involved in changing food choices

20. Studies

21. Scientific Studies • Many studies have shown the connection between a healthy diet, physical activity, and a student’s ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school. • A hungry student is not equipped to learn.

22. Studies (con’t.) • According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a poor diet and physical inactivity are responsible for as many premature deaths as tobacco. • More than 1,200 deaths each day

23. CURRICULUM

24. Beginning Food Curriculum Process • Change requires a shared vision. • Develop shared language. • Study state standards. • Present proposed curriculum. • Identify ways to measure effectiveness. • Include assessment of changed attitudes and behaviors.

25. Rethinking School Lunches

26. Nutrition Awareness

27. Flyers(From the School Nutrition Association (SNA) Website) :www.sna.org *Schools Send Flyers Home . . . - Flyers are directed to parents and students. - Keep people informed and increase nutritional awareness among students and family. - Educate students and parents on what foods should be eaten every day. - Provide other important and positive information on school nutrition programs. - Helps promote key issues about supporting school meals and local school wellness policies. - Bring more students into the cafeteria.

28. Food Safety

29. School Meals • School meals are possibly the safest that kids can eat outside of the home. - VERY few incidents of food borne illness in schools reported by The General Accounting Office of SNA (School Nutrition Association).

30. Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (HACCP) - Adoption of these guidelines and principals in creating a food safety plan is important. - Major component: Development of standard operating procedures which cover all food preparation, storage and cleaning actions which influence food safety. - This plan reflects standards and procedures already in practice. - Assessments of food service operation will highlight any weak area needing to be addressed.

31. National Food Safety Month * Every September * This is a perfect time for food service staff to refresh basic knowledge in food safety. * This year’s theme: “Don’t Compromise: Clean & Sanitize” Always work and prepare as if there is a Health Inspection on the horizon. . .

32. School Food Service &Continuing Education Child Nutrition Foundation & School Nutrition Association * Food Service courses meet Food Codes as well as the needs of both employees and managers. (Under Child Nutrition U) CNU – Source of continuing education for school food / nutrition professionals. August 15, 2006: Five New Courses Available (SNA) 1. Food Safety Management Principles Certification Training 2. Food Safety Manager Certification Preparation 3. Food Handler’s Safety 4. Food Worker Training program 5. HACCP: The State-of-the-Art Approach to Food Safety

33. Model School Waste Reduction Programs

34. Waste reduction includes both waste prevention and recycling . . . - conserve resources - promote efficiency - reduce pollution

35. Creative Ideas in Curbing Waste A Few Success Stories :

36. Zero Waste Generation Student lunches and snacks only use reusable containers. *No paper napkins or non-reusable packaging is used. *All drinks are in reusable / recyclable containers. *Nothing is thrown away. * Students fill only (1) 55-gallon trash can during lunch per day throughout the entire school.

37. Worm Your Way Through ! Worms can be used in the fight to cut waste . . . - 14,000 pounds of waste was diverted through composting and recycling efforts. - Lunch food waste and paper items are taken to worm bins in the school garden. - These efforts reduced school garbage by 60%.

38. Helping Local Farms * Many local farms around the country are provided with food waste from school cafeterias. * Food waste is recycled and given as food sources for farm animals. * Students and staff take pride in the recycling of food waste.

39. ~ HELPFUL RESOURCES ~ “Seeing Green Through Waste Prevention” * Provides valuable insights for waste prevention activities and cost analysis procedures to help set up a comprehensive waste reduction program. “A District - Wide Approach to Recycling” * Includes case studies that document economic benefits of waste management programs.

40. Other Creative Food Service Ideas

41. Case Study:Implementing a Farm-to-School Lunch Program (Healdsburg, CA) * Start out small and expand / get people involved. * Make use of fresh foods, not packaged. * “Homemade is best!” * Seasonal, local and fresh ingredients augment the nutritional content and appeal of school meals. * Seasonal menus are based on local seasonal availability. * Put together healthier versions of lunch favorites with additions of good, fresh salads and fruit. * Menu Formula: hot & healthy entrée, fresh veggies, grain bread, fresh fruit. * Positive change gains attention, more involvement and support.

42. Organic School Lunch Programs in CA * The “Edible School Yard Program” began 9 years ago and will now expand so all other schools will have their own garden and full service cafeteria where students play leading roles in providing their nutritional needs. * Students take on an active role by planting seeds, raising crops and learning about sustainable ecosystems. * School lunch is taught as a course. * Curriculums are being developed around this concept.

43. Turkey Sub Sandwich Broccoli Raisin Salad Fresh Strawberries Roasted Chicken Apple Cabbage Slaw Pumpkin Nut Bread Tangerine Chili Baby Carrots with Poppy Seed Dressing Cornbread Kiwis Lasagna Caesar Salad Multigrain Roll Lemon Pudding Mandarin Oranges Sample Menus

44. The School Dining System • Information Services USA Software lets parents view their children’s cafeteria purchases via the internet. • “The School Dining System” is the most popular of several school software products. • The software also alerts lunch clerks when students buy certain food containing ingredients they should not have and when lunch account balanced are low. • Parents can limit the amount their children spend as well as the type of food being eaten. • Designed for schools to become more efficient. • Software is user friendly.

45. Resources Center for Ecoliteracy. Food and Health: Rethinking School Lunch Guide. Retrieved Oct. 6, 2006 from www.ecoliteracy.org. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, Publisher:  Taylor & Francis   Issue:  Volume 1, Number 1 / January 2006. Pages:  7 – 10. National School Boards Association. (Sept. 6, 2006). Hiawatha, Iowa, Firm Takes School Cafeterias into Tech Age. Retrieved Oct 6, 2006 from www.nsba.org. Organic Consumers Association. )July 2, 2004). Organic School Lunch Program Expand in California. Retrieved Oct. 6, 2006 from www.organicconsumers.org/school/school-lunch.cfm.

46. Resources(con’t.) Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: School Lunch Report Card, A Report by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, August 2006,Washington DC. St. Cloud Times, Taking a Bite Out of Fatty Snacks, New York (AP), October 7, 2006. School District Diversion Report 2000. Model School Waste Reduction www.ciwmb.ca.gov/schools/wastereduce/ Models/default.htm. School Nutrition Association. (2006). Retrieved Oct. 1, 2006 from www.schoolnutrition.org.