Served Digizine™ - New Project? No Problem!

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Issue No. 14 March 2022

How to Plan for SUMMER PROJECTS Software Implementation YOUR TIME IS NOW!

NEXT UP: Changing the Perception of Child Nutrition

Contents

BUILD YOUR OWN Pizza Station!

How to Plan for SUMMER PROJECTS 10

https://vimeo. com/680000037

PROJECT VEND Innovative ways to Increase Revenue, Feed More Kids, and Give the Students What They Want: Convenience.

Peanut Allergy Community Education Guide Bringing Back the Peanut

HERstory of School Nutrition

Changing the Perception of Child Nutrition

In this live episode, we spoke about the things you can to control the perception of your child nutrition program by using marketing and communication tools. Our guests on this episode include Tyson K-12, TITAN a LINQ Solution, and Alachua County Schools from Florida.

LeeSchools.net

From our Partners

2 | Next Up

14 | IPS Rebates 22 | Next Up with AmTab

23 | Next Up

with Titan, Tyson, and Alachua County Schools

with Urban School Food Alliance

About Next Up

include a live in person audience or a live virtual audience to engage with in real time. The concept of the show revolves around “breaking bread” while building relationships, building each other up, and solving problems through collaboration to create a better tomorrow.

Next Up is a talk show featuring some of the most successful leaders, educators, and influencers from around the world serving in different sectors. Guests will be chosen by NxtGen Network and can also be suggested by sponsors. All episodes will be filmed in a studio with a multi-camera setup, be converted to podcast, and can

9 | JTM

There’s More

Contents

02 06

20 22 24

Build Your Own Pizza Station by Bettina Next Up with AmTab & USFA Project Vend: It’s Worth it. by Amanda Venezia Edible Education - SMART Ways to Incorporate Easy to Implement Bar Concepts Using Global Trends and Hot Cocoa Parfait - A Simple Twist on a Classic Treat with Rachelle Wuellner Bringing Back the Peanut - A Digital Allergy Community Education Guide with Lee County Food & Nutrition Services (FL) Comfort Classics! with Pisanick Partners

Next Up with Titan & Tyson

Letter from the Editors & Served Highlights

SMART Ways to Incorporate Easy to Implement Bar Concepts Using Global Trends and Edible Education:

HERstory of School Nutrition - A Response. It’s Time for a Change. with Lunch Assist How to Plan for Summer Projects by Conor Doyle

10 13 15

is the Best Time for New Software Implementation for K-12 Schools WHY WINTER

ICN Resource of the Month

Ready-to-Use Tips - Setting the Table For All! Creating Dining Spaces with OTHERS in mind. with Annelise McAuliffe Soares Why Winter (Now!) is the Best Time for New Software Implementation for K-12 Schools by Matt Muller

Comfort Classics!

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Podcast Spotlight with Next Up and USFA

The MOMologue with Stacy Cardinale

Digizine How-to

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15 Setting the Table For All!

Ready-to-Use Tips

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Welcome to the age of the Digizine! Here are your March Highlights.

Upcoming Editions Sustain the Earth & Your Programs Special Needs Nutrition & Summer Feeding Innovation Required & ANC Coverage Back to School - Not just for kids! (Personal Development)

Co-Creators & Co-Editors Amanda & Marlon Say

Diving into the dining experience is an exciting edition! I’m going to tell you a secret… don’t tell anyone… I have money. Like, a lot of money. More than I could have even imagined upon the reimbursement rate release. That fund balance that I cried about losing last year, I am adding as much to the bottom line monthly. I know… who would have thought? At 12% free and reduced lunch, the majority of mymeals are paid by parents between $2.20 and $2.70 for lunch. This year’s reimbursement rates stand at double. Yes, food costs have increased but not 100% over what they were last year. Oh, and I am operating at staffing levels hovering around 74% for the year. So, within all the accounting of my income statement I have double the income, higher food costs, increased invoice credits (due to rejected substitutions and outages), and lower labor costs. All these combine to a net positive. The first thing I did was visit each kitchen. Not only did I talk to my managers but each staff member. I asked what they needed to make their job easier and I threw away all the dirty pot holders I could find. Not able to run all the scoops through each line? No problem. I will buy more scoops. Cutting tomatoes is a pain in the butt. I will spring for the sliced ones from our produce company. Anything to take the pressure off of our taxed and exhausted essential workers. Next up for us? Two large construction projects set to increase storage and allow for operational efficiencies. It’s amazing how quickly a project can be greenlit with these words, “I have the money.” Our dining space still needs a pickme up. I would like to personally dispose of all those “prison tables” forever! I need some inspiration and I hope that you are looking forward to this issue as much as I am. Let’s go!

Farm to School Feed the World (Cultures, Diversity, & Giving Back)

https://vimeo.com/683586815/4cdec06599

Live karaoke anyone?? Texas School Nutrition Association held their TASN 2022 Partnership Collaboration Summit in Austin, Texas last month. As part of a team building activity, attendees were challenged to parody and perform. Beware…. Once you listen to the attached “original song” you won’t be able to get it out of your @$#!&$% head. The song was written by the conference planning team.

- Amanda

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Over the past five years, LunchAssist has provided training that keeps school nutrition programs in compliance and elevates the profession. As a female-led organization, we are committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do. To learn more about gender bias, check out our free, 15-minute professional development lesson on Cultural Competence & Cultural Humility or learn more by visiting www.lunchassist.org. Paloma Perez-Bertrand & Jennifer McNeil HERstory of School Nutrition

School Nutrition is often considered a female dominated field, but is that really the case? Despite being the majority in every school kitchen, there is a glass ceiling when it comes to women in executive leadership positions. Did you know that since its inception in 1862, the USDA has only ever had one female Secretary of Agriculture? One. And she was a white woman. Women of color are even more underrepresented, or not represented at all. As author Jennifer Gaddis narrates in her book, The Labor of Lunch, school food is a “product of generations of women’s activism.” American school meal programs were not started by Richard B. Russell, but by progressive era women in the 1890’s, and have been championed by female-led activism ever since. Why then do we continue to perpetuate degrading language and misguided tropes about women in our industry? In a 2017 article about how women “dominate” school nutrition, the School Nutrition Association published irritating stereotypes about women’s tendencies to be “frequently jealous, insecure, and easily threatened.” The article went on to say, “when women lack confidence, they resort to passive aggressiveness [that] can be particularly dangerous in a confined area, where sharp objects are readily available.” Seriously, SNA?

As members of an industry started by women, and made up of thousands of highly skilled, professional women, we are truly sick of these myths! It’s time to address it as an issue of systemic gender bias, still persistent in our field and perpetuated by the very organizations charged with advocating for our best interests. It’s time for a change. School Nutrition is a world where women work in some of the lowest paid positions, often without health or retirement benefits. School Nutrition is a world where “Lunch Ladies” are touted as heroes during a pandemic, but portrayed as serving inedible mystery meat in pop culture. School Nutrition is a world where women of color fill the majority of entry level positions and white men ride a glass escalator to the top. During Women’s History Month, let’s shatter the glass ceiling by confronting denigrating stereotypes, neutralizing gender roles, and disrupting outdated institutions that stifle progress. By doing so we will bring more respect to the women in our industry, level the playing field, and empower all women to reach their full potential. This month, as we celebrate all that women have accomplished, let us also acknowledge that we haven’t crossed the finish line yet. There is still so much work to be done!

www.jtmcravecompetition.com

800.626.2308 | jtmfoodgroup.com

manufacturer is American made. . . figure out their lead times. . . explore

How to Plan for SUMMER PROJECTS

their graphic capabilities. . . are just a few things to consider when it comes to picking the manufacturer you want to work with.

What furniture options are you looking for? Do you want logos on the tables? Are signs, graphics, and décor to be included? What colors do you want incorporated? There’s more questions that you need to consider for this process, but arguably, the most important part is deciding to modernize your space. However, the good thing is you don’t need to have all those answers! #2 Select a Manufacturer Who Fits Your Needs Selecting a manufacturer that you want to collaborate with is crucial in seeing your dreams come to life. A manufacturer should work with you and your budget

#3 Talk with Industry Friends

Reach out to other directors or school nutrition professionals that recently had their café transformed. Using others in the industry to ask questions and see how the process went will help you immensely during your process. Learn from what went ‘amazing’ during the process, try your best to avoid the mistakes that were made and listen to the recommendations they have for you. Asking your peers for help will greatly make this process that much easier!

Digital Marketing Specialist, AmTab Manufacturing Conor Doyle

Where has the time gone? Feels like it was yesterday that we were celebrating the holidays and enjoying much-needed relaxation. Those days are seemingly long gone, as we have already reached March. Spring is right around the corner, which means we are one-step closer to sweet, sweet summer. Summer is important for many different reasons. It means sunshine, warm weather, family time, and summer projects. Yes, I know when it comes to summer time one of the last things that people want to focus on is work related activities, but I promise you, you’re going to want to listen to this.

Here are four tips to help you navigate the process of modernizing your cafeteria!

#1 Start The Process ASAP

to help create your ideal food court. The right manufacturer will have a full team in place that can not only answer all your questions, but also have the necessary team in place to deliver on furnishing your cafeteria. Here’s a few tips to considerwhenchoosing: look into whether the furniture

If you want your students to have that “WOWWWW!” reaction when they step foot in school in the fall, then getting the process initiated now is very important. It’s important to realize that modernizing your students’ dining experience takes time to develop. Designing and creating your vision involves doing quite a bit of research on what you and your school are looking for.

Read On

We Need YOUR Input!

#4 Let’s Design!

Many times people might have a full cafeteria idea in their head that they want to see fulfilled. Other times it’s a few cafeteria furniture products that they know they would like to see. The beauty of working with a manufacturer is that they can present so many different ideas to help modernize your space. Work with interior designers whose main role is to make sure your needs are satisfied or to come up with brand new, outside the box, and modern, popular, and fun dining spaces for you to see.

Now is the best time to start thinking and planning to modernize your cafeteria. Getting that“WOWWWWW” reaction begins in the summertime and ends with the students returning to school in the fall.

Check out the Institute of Child Nutrition’s training materials for Utilizing the Cafeteria as a Classroom! The school cafeteria can easily be the largest classroom on a school campus. It provides a valuable venue where school nutrition professionals can assist teachers and parents in encouraging children to make wise food choices that will contribute to a healthy lifestyle. This course is designed to provide school nutrition professionals with the tools and resources that will enable them to develop and enhance a school nutrition program that will be recognized as an integral part of the education system. The time frame planned for each lesson is 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes; however, the course design is flexible. The scheduled time may be shortened or lengthened by allowing more or less time for class discussion and/or learning activities. Lessons may be combined to provide longer training sessions. The lessons are designed to encourage participant involvement. Two to three learning activities are incorporated into each lesson to engage the participants and reinforce the concepts discussed in the class. Course Framework: Utilizing the Cafeteria as a Classroom contains four lessons. Lesson 1: Marketing Healthy Options Lesson 2: Reaching Out to the School Community Lesson 3: Communicating with Parents Lesson 4: Farm to School and School Garden Programs SNA Key Areas: 1, 4; USDA Professional Standards Codes: 1200, 4110, 4120, 4130, 4150

Take the quick survey below to let us know what leaderships topics you would like ICN to develop. Take the Survey!

Take the first step, you really won’t regret it!

iLearn’s Dashboard has a NEW look!

iLearn provides self-paced, FREE online learning for child nutrition professionals. iLearn offers users the flexibility to complete courses in multiple sessions on desktop, laptop, or mobile devices.

Download the Instructor’s Manual, Participant’s Workbook, and Presentation Here!

Download The App So You Can iLearn On-The Go!

Conor Doyle Digital Marketing Specialist, AmTab Manufacturing

Subscribe to ICN Newsletters and Resource Update Emails Here!

Conor is actively involved in the school nutrition industry partner that helps provide valuable insight on café modernization projects across the country. Conor’s favorite part about working with schools is knowing that students and staff will love their modernized spaces. Being able to transform ordinary environments to extraordinary ones that students love being a part of is amazing! Conor graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Find Conor on LinkedIn Here

The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), part of the School of Applied Sciences at The University of Mississippi, is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs. The Institute’s mission is to provide information and services that promote the continuous improvement of child nutrition programs. ICN Website About ICN

Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Annelise has spent her career making sure food sounds appetizing on paper, looks good in pictures and tastes amazing when you order it. Her day-to-day consists of working as Marketing Manager at Ready Foods to connect food service operators with ready-to-use kitchen solutions that are easy to incorporate into a kitchen flow and bring great flavor to menu items. Her favorite hot lunch in elementary school was always nacho day. Ready Foods Annelise McAuliffe Soares Ready-to-Use Tips!

Setting the Table For All !

Creating Dining Spaces with OTHERS in mind.

Many Schools Have diversity, inclusion and equity statements, maybe even goals or plans. But how does that translate to what you tackle in the school dining facility each day? It’s a big thing to think about and inclusivity can feel like an overwhelming idea to cultivate, but little steps can make a big difference in an atmosphere and culture. This short blurb is intended to simply get your thoughts flowing. A few members of the Ready Foods team recently had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Jessica Rush Leeker, Faculty Director and Professor at University of Colorado Boulder, give a talk on how to create spaces, situations or even products with others in mind. Encouraging diversity, inclusion and equity can seem abstract. Dr. Leeker offered the following analogy about a table setting that helps us wrap our heads around it in a concrete way: When we put down a place setting for each guest we are serving, making sure everyone has access to a fork, spoon, plate, napkin, etc. we are ensuring equity. When we create a special main dish for a guest that is gluten-free, vegan or has a nut allergy, we are practicing inclusion. If we invite a variety of individuals to join us for the meal, with each person having a unique background or identity, we know we will have vibrant conversations at the table, this is supporting diversity.

You know your environment and students best! Here are some ideas to get you started, but remember acknowledgment is the first step. • Take time to simply establish with your team that creating an inclusive environment is key to serving students better. Start by acknowledging that we all have biases, once we are aware of them, we can get to work. • Equity might seem like the natural place for a team to start. For example, ensure that necessary utensils or services are accessible to students of all shapes, sizes and abilities. If the current setup doesn’t allow everyone to get food and eat comfortably, some brainstorming might be needed on how to include them. • Cultivate diversity and curiosity amongst students in small ways. • Consider a diverse array of cuisines to serve on the school menu. Use it as a tool to highlight minority foods and teach students about another region of the world. • Lunch can be an awkward time for students who don’t fit into a particular group. Similarly, it can be a great time for all students to diversify their interactions. Ask the teachers to create lunch groups; one day a month students are assigned to sit at a particular table and interact with a different group of peers than they normally might. Prepare a fun conversation starter on each table so that awkward silences amongst the new dining companions can be avoided. What are some ways the idea of setting a table with diversity, inclusion and equity in mind can be translated in the lunchroom?

Learn More

We’d love to hear from you!

“What do my trips to Disney have to do with new software implementation for K-12 schools?”

Image Source: MagicGuides

“

What do my trips to Disney have to do with new software implementation for K-12 schools?

2. Software companies need to make sales in Q4, which runs from October through December Districts never want to “double pay” for the same type of software. So, we set the start date for the new contract to the expiration of the legacy software’s contract. This created a vast number of sales in the summer, but then distinctly less revenue in the winter. To smooth out this big summer bump, we now offer 18-months of software for the price of 12, with a start date of July 1. This approach allows the company to take the booking in Q4, provided that the district makes a commitment to pay in July. However, if the district starts to use the software before July, we never ask the district to pay us more. In fact, we would prefer that districts get up and running as soon as possible since our implementation team has excess capacity from January through April. >> Additional Time << Enterprise-level software, like student information systems or enterprise resource planning platforms, have extensive integrations to third-party programs as well as numerous configurations to ensure that the software follows the rules of your state and district. But even department-specific software, like nutrition, library, content management, workflows, or student registration, still have authentication set-up, integration with at least one other system (probably the SIS or ERP), and district-specific configurations.

is the Best Time for New Software Implementation for K-12 Schools WHY WINTER

”

Ask almost any K-12 administrator what the best time of year is to change software systems and the overwhelming majority will vote for summer break. But this is the equivalent of going to Disney on a Saturday during a holiday weekend. Instead, consider the advantages of using the “slow season” for vendors, or the winter months, for new software implementation for K-12 schools. Consider the following benefits of slow season implementation: • For most K-12 software vendors (including LINQ) , there is no additional license cost to implement earlier in the year • Additional time for configuration, integration, and quality assurance testing • Personalized attention and an easier transition from the implementation team to your long-term support resource. Now that you know some of the benefits for implementing new solutions during the winter, let’s take a look at each of these benefits in greater detail. The Benefits of Implementing K-12 Software in Winter >> No Additional Cost << I have worked with two of the largest K-12 software vendors in the market. At both companies, we faced two factors that run counter to each other: 1. School districts set up their budgets so that software renews in June or July

Chief Revenue Officer, LINQ Matt Muller

I live in central Florida, which means that visiting friends and family usually want to go to Disney World. Often, they ask me to join them and, since it is a magical place and my daughters like the experience, I often do. In my many visits, what usually determines how much I enjoy the experience is the time of year that we go. A Disney experience in mid-March—at the height of Spring Break—is a grind. Crowded parking lots, long lines and packed restaurants make everything a little less magical. But then there are the times that I have visited on a Tuesday in the middle of January; We have the place to ourselves! The Magic Kingdom is so empty that we only need a handful of hours to see all the shows and go on our favorite rides multiple times. There is less crying and whining from the kids (and the adults), and we leave with smiles on our faces.

Read On

PODCAST SPOTLIGHT Each edition we’ll bring you the freshest podcast content to boost your programs, your knowledge, and hopefully your mood. Grab a coffee, wine, or even your walking shoes and listen in.

These processes require an investment of time for both the vendor and district staff. In particular, integrations require validation from the district that the data is being transferred correctly between systems. Additionally, a good software partner tests the software to ensure it is functioning correctly, and also that it meets the specific needs of the district before go-live. Although the summer is a slower season for most district staff, it is peak implementation season for the vendor, which can impact the amount of time you have to provide feedback on how the software is operating. Instead, an implementation that begins between January and March offers time for the district to provide feedback to the vendor through multiple iterations, ensuring that the data transfer process is as seamless as possible. The additional time also allows for a deeper dive into the business rules that exist in the legacy software. Rather than simply recreating these processes, the district can work with the vendor to see if there are ways to make the configurations align more closely to an optimized business process. >> Personalized Attention << In almost every software implementation, there are five, primary workflows:

Some districts that have performed “off season” implementations have had success by completing steps one-to-four above by the beginning of April, scheduling training for power users in the late Spring, and then delivering end-user training in the Summer. In fact, for districts that use a train-the-trainer method, this has proven incredibly successful, as the district training cadre has time to modify their own training materials, create district training videos, and establish feedback mechanisms to allow the end users to ask questions and provide comments on the training being delivered. At LINQ, for example, we offer our new customers a project manager that is the main point of contact during the implementation. As the district approaches go-live, we introduce a new resource, the customer success manager. This role exists to help the district optimize their experience with the software after go-live. The customer success manager monitors usage in the software. They also offer personalized resources to ensure that the district is getting the highest possible value out of the software.

Mushrooms + Innovative Recipes = Happy Students

In this episode of the Next Up Podcast, Marlon had the opportunity to travel to Bonita California to meet with Stella Ndahura, the Foodservice Director at Bonita Unified School District. Malissa Marsden from the Mushroom Council was able to make the trip as well, and as you

can imagine the topic of the conversation was mushrooms. We spoke about benefits, recipes, and how to get the results you want when introducing them to your menus. Well. . . that and Marlon trying to convince Stella to take him back home to Africa with her!

About this podcast -

The Next Up Podcast series is the landing place for those interested in thought leadership. Here you’ll find the podcast versions of our Live talk show, Premier talk show, and stand alone podcasts. We focus on having real, and open conversations with the most inspiration, intellectual, innovative, individuals from across the globe that share a common desire to help others be the best version of themselves.

48 min

Winter is the Best for K-12 Software Implementation

Additional time allows for deep conversations between the software project manager, the customer success manager, and the district contact to create a sustainable plan moving forward. Taking on an implementation during the slow season of your software choice reduces stress. It also increases the chances that you have not just a good implementation, but a great one. You don’t have to wait until summer to get started - in fact, the best time is now.

1. Installation 2. Data migration 3. Integration 4. Configuration 5. Training

Los Angeles Unified School District Member Highlight 44 min

Many of these tasks can be performed in tandem. But, you will have a better experience if these can be performed linearly. For example, training can take place at any point during the implementation, but is always more powerful when the end user can see district data and use district-defined configurations.

In this episode, we had the opportunity to spend some time with Manish Singh from LA Unified. Manish has a degree from Delhi University in Hotel Management (India’s premier hotel management school), an MBA, and a CASBO certification. He has been with his district for the past 15 years where he’s grown the CEP program

and feeds 137 million meals annually to roughly 500,000 students. During the pandemic, he partnered with local Food Banks, USDA’s Farmer to Families, and the Red Cross to distribute over 140 million meals to students across the community. Manish is passionate about food and committed to providing his students with the types of delicious and nutritious meals they need and want.

Matt Muller began his career as a classroom teacher before transitioning to educational technology. A veteran of two decades in educational software, he has implemented hundreds of software applications including student information systems, Enterprise Resource Planning, student learning, assessment, and administrative systems at schools and school districts across the United States. Matt lives in Tampa, Florida, and presently serves as the Chief Revenue Officer for LINQ. A frequent presenter at state and national conferences, Matt was recently a panelist at the Council of Great City Schools CIO conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Matt Muller Chief Revenue Officer, LINQ

About this podcast -

The Urban Update Podcast is brought to you by the Urban School Food Alliance. The USFA was created in 2012 to address the unique needs of the nation’s largest school districts. As a 501©3 nonprofit, we share best practices, develop procurement strategies, and advocate for the health and wellness of students.

BUILD YOUR OWN Pizza Station!

Recipe

When I was growing up pizza was for Fridays. My middle school offered pizza lunch on Fridays and I would be so excited to have pizza for lunch. It was the best end-of-the-week meal. Friday nights were often pizza and movie night too. Instead of ordering in, make your own with all the fixings you want. Building a pizza making station can be fun for us adults too. A quick gathering for a game night and don’t know what to make, get your guests to do the work for you. Build a pizza making station and share stories along the way. In order to make this a complete meal that’s an acceptable reimbursable meal for the school lunch program, serve your pizza with a garden salad and some fresh fruit. The USDA requires that all grains served in school meals programs are whole grains. This is why it’s important to choose a whole wheat crust. Whole wheat lavish bread is tasty and meets this requirement. I like using lavish bread because I like a thin crust pizza over a pan crust pizza. Plus, it toasts up so quickly. To make your pizzas, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, lay 1 - 2 pieces of lavish bread on the sheet tray. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Flip lavish bread over. Top with your favorite toppings. Try a thin layer of pizza sauce (1/2 Cup), Shredded mozzarella cheese (enough to cover the pizza, ~1/2 to 3/4 Cup), pepperoni slices, sliced mushrooms, and sliced onions and bell peppers. Or try pesto, Parmesan cheese, fresh sliced mozzarella cheese, and fresh cherry tomatoes. Place your pizza back into the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese melts and is ooey and gooey. Slice and serve. It’s so quick that you can make them in batches without having to wait for a long time.

Serves as Many as Like

What’s Needed • Whole Wheat Lavish Bread (Or Another kind of Whole Wheat Flatbread) • About 1/2 cup Pizza Sauce per Pizza • All the Toppings You Love, and Some to Try. (See Suggestions on the previous page) • Mozzarella Cheese Steps 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet and lavish bread with nonstick spray. 2. Place lavish bread on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 3 minutes on one side. Remove from oven. Flip on other side. 3. Place desired toppings on lavish bread. 4. Place back into oven and cook for 5 minutes until cheeses have melted. 5. Slice and Serve. Repeat as desired.

Baltimore County Schools (MD) Bites With Applewhite Bettina J. Applewhite, SNS

One Way to get your kids to eat better is to get them involved in the process. Who doesn’t like pizza? It’s even better when you get to add in your own toppings. This do-it-yourself pizza comes together really quickly so it’s great for a mid-day activity that also serves as a delicious lunch. I don’t like many hands in the kitchen while I’m cooking but if those hands are little hands that are learning, I’m excited for it. Children learn by doing and observing. Working together to prepare a meal, gets them excited for the meal in front of them. It gives them ownership and for us trying to keep them fed, it helps them choose exactly what they want for their meals. Putting together a pizza making station can be pretty simple. I use whole wheat lavish bread which is already cooked so it toasts quickly for a delicious thin crust pizza in no time. The day before or a few minutes before put several different toppings in little bowls. You can have a few basic ingredients like pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni or you can have a smorgasbord full of ingredients like mushrooms, mini-meatballs, pesto, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella.

What You Need to Build a Pizza Making Station: • Whole Wheat Lavish Bread • Pizza Sauce • Mozzarella Cheese • Your Favorite Toppings • Pepperoni • Mushrooms • Mini-Meatballs • Italian Sausage • Fresh Tomatoes • Sliced Onions • Sliced Bell Peppers Even Some Unique Toppings • Pesto • Parmesan Cheese • Anchovies • Fresh Sliced Mozzarella • Fresh Basil • Sliced Chicken Breast • Broccoli The key is to choose some foods that your children will like and a couple that you’re unsure if they’ve even tried before. Variety is key. They can learn while they build. Maybe they haven’t tried black olives before but it’s an option for a topping. They can taste one before they put it on their pizza to see if they would like it. Or maybe they’re familiar with broccoli but they’ve never had broccoli on pizza. Let’s try it to see how it turns out.

Enjoy!

Bettina is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist, School Nutrition Specialist, and all-around Foodie. She’s had a passion for food and sharing that love of food with others since childhood. In her teenage years, she started cooking at home for her mom. She learned from watching cooking shows and studying cookbooks. As she continued to cook family dinners, I was able to explore more foods and exotic dishes. When I had to start a career, It was important for her to blend her love of science with her love of food. Bettina gained her masters’ degree in Integrative Bioscience with a concentration in Nutrition and became a Registered Dietitian- Nutritionist. School nutrition is where she’s found her niche and became a credentialed School Nutrition Specialist. She enjoys sharing her love of food with younger generations. Seeing students taste something new sparks joy in her life. Bettina J. Applewhite, SNS Baltimore County Schools (MD) | Bites With Applewhite

LORA GILBERT

USFA Member Spotlight

AMTAB

In this episode of the talk show, Marlon Gordon and Amanda Venezia sit down and have a conversation with Lora Gilbert, the Senior Director of Food and Nutrition

Services at Orange County Public Schools - Food and Nutrition Services about what it was like to be a founding member of the Urban School Food Alliance as well as what her district is doing to better their community.

Join the conversation with James Stoll and Eve Whitmore from AmTab along with Scott Anderson from Madison County School District. Learn how you can transform your cafeteria into the dining space of your dreams with AmTab! Transform Your Dining Space with AmTab!

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Fast forward to the beginning of FY22 and at 62% staffing we struggled to feed students breakfast and lunch. However, we knew how important it was to continue producing items for our vending program. Losing the trust of our customers was something that we could not risk. Where previously, I would immediately get involved if I walked by and saw several holes without product, I had to lower my vending excellence expectations. March 2022 is the start of a brand new month and I am hoping for a turn towards our new normal. Staffing levels are stabilizing and the supply chain is producing products more consistently. We continue to focus on our vending program and know that we continue to serve our customers while they are on the go. What will the future of vending look like in Londonderry? Reimbursable breakfast and lunch machines? Maybe. We have unlocked the how. Now we wait to see what our needs are and how the automation of the cashier process will assist us in the future.

I was opening up a new line of business and this decreased annual financial burden definitely eased the approval process with my business administrator. My fully customized units were delivered in July and I had some student and staff free time to familiarize myself with the machine and its capabilities. Yes, I am a nerd and for months I focused on perfecting this program. I created standard operating procedures. I made waste spreadsheets. I checked and filled the machines with my staff and while in the high school hallways I peppered students with constant questions. We filled the machines and the students immediately emptied them. We filled them again and. . . well, you get the picture. It was insane! Dining on the go elevated our Dining Services breakfast and lunch service to a 24 hour-7 day a week food solution to our students and staff who spent an exponential amount of time on campus. The demand exceeded our ability to serve our students. It surpassed our wildest expectations and we immediately placed an order for two additional machines. We even hired a full time operator responsible for our vending operation. It became too much of a responsibility to be shared amongst our current labor. Long story short… This was a win in so many ways. I’ll sum it up in this way: • The machines paid for themselves within their first four operating months. At our height of efficiency, the high school machines regularly hit $1,000 in daily sales. • According to Venducation, in the beginning • of 2020 Londonderry High School held the number one spot for highest sales per student per day in the country. • FY20 saw profits from our vending program over $75,000. This new income astounded both our Business Administrator and School Board.

PROJECT VEND Innovative ways to

SIDEBAR TIP Walking through the lunchroom will provide you with key insight into your customer’s preferences, the societal and cultural trends, even the micro-societies of a lunch table. • A table of female athletes may pack their lunch from home. • The food culture of a student friend group/peers reflects their views on school lunch. Is it socially acceptable within their peer group to go through the lunch line? • Do our athletes believe that they can’t fuel their bodies appropriately with our lunches? If you want to know where your menu lacks, take a walk with a clipboard and make note of what students are packing from home. Are there ten kiddos with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Maybe it’s time to rethink your policy on peanuts. Can you add an IW sandwich which does not contaminate your kitchen with an allergen? The answer for Londonderry was, “Yes!” This year we have a safe alternative that students can count on in the off-chance that he or she dislikes the main hot entree. Uncrustable peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a huge hit at all levels. We want students to enter the lunch line without the risk that they will go hungry because we ran out of pizza or subbed today’s entree due to product shortages. Increase Revenue, Feed More Kids, and Give the Students What They Want: Convenience. fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits and sandwiches. The prices those grocery stores were demanding (and actually selling) were outrageous but there was a market for it. Hey! We can do that too! So, we did. My first vending purchase was three machines which I purchased on a 5 year lease. This was a gamble!

It all started with a participation survey in 2017. I couldn’t figure it out. Why was our high school meal participation at 43%? When I went into the cafeteria and strolled amongst the tables, 3 out of 4 students had a lunch tray in front of them. The math didn’t make sense. Our survey conclusion was that the majority of our students who came to the cafeteria ate with us, astonishingly at approximately double the rate of all school participation which we saw tabulated on those end of day reports. We discovered a multitude of factors which contributed to this discrepancy. The greatest of these being that students were spending their lunch time outside of the cafeteria whether it be by adding an additional class to their schedule, meeting with a teacher or group, or simply spending time in the band room practicing on their instrument. Regardless of their activity it precluded them from entering the lunch line, choosing to spend their time in an academic, athletic, or extra-curricular pursuit. We needed to have additional, convenient, points of service throughout our high school location meeting the nutritional needs and time constraints of our customers. At then 12% free and reduced lunch, we decided that providing a la carte vending was just the ticket to serving our students. Grocery stores were just entering the world of grab and go convenience items such as individual servings of Director of Dining Services, Londonderry School District (NH) Amanda Venezia, MEd, SNS

final vending pro TIPs

https://vimeo. com/683588158/ caadc5ce7a

https://vimeo. com/683980328

Amanda has been a restaurant and hospitality professional for over 15 years and is on her 10th year rocking school lunch as Director of Dining Services in Londonderry, New Hampshire. A wife, mom, and Vlogger, Amanda shares her passion for school nutrition speaking at national conferences and training professionals on front of the house and business operations but don’t discount her proficiency and creativity in the kitchen. Her love of social media marketing has put her small New England district on the map and she has won such awards as this year’s FoodService Director Magazine 2019 Rising Star. Amanda Venezia, MEd, SNS Director of Dining Services, Londonderry School District (NH) | NxtGen Network

Edible Education: Slicing up Inspiration for Your Menu and More!

recipes to make the menu POP. A pasta bar with the smells of garlic bread, basil and oregano will get the senses going before they hit the door. • Utilize suggestive selling. Yes, we may have to charge for our lunches again. Think about how you can continue to get students to patronize your program when they have to pay for it - involve them! SNAC committees and the power of peer pressure are great ways to create customer loyalty. • Set smart pricing strategies. Don’t compete with yourself….selling alacarte is a way to gain financial support for your program. However, sometimes you need to read the room. If you notice that your lunch lines are short, and snack lines long, strategize ways you can create convenience and healthy value in your line up. Try favorite quick grab-n-go options such as yogurt parfaits, bistro boxes, nacho average nacho kit! And more. As the spring season brings new growth, think about how you can grow choice and dominate your dining space. SPICE UP your cafeteria not only with spices that pair well with foods you are offering, but also seek out new opportunities for building meal customization.

Environmental Cues that Influence Eating Behavior

It is interesting to review the findings of how environmental factors can steer people’s decisions concerning what foods they choose and how much they consume. Here are some environmental cues that influence eating behavior. • Maximize containers. Shapes, colors and styles of containers can enhance or hinder the action of choosing a food. There are a variety of options in the market to choose from to enhance presentation. Simple cartons (think Chinese take out box), decorative paper liners, colorful bowls, and grab-n-go containers can make a meal more appealing. • Increase convenience. Take steps to avoid long lines with an eye to your cafeteria layout. Balance some grab-n-go options with service bars. • Improve visibility. Confused buyers don’t buy. Use wayfinding pictures and signage to provide students with cues to make quick decisions about their purchases. • Use the senses to enhance taste expectations. Students frequently can smell what’s for lunch before reaching the cafeteria and eat with their eyes. Add herbs and spices to

Pisanick Partners

Tina Hastings Maureen Pisanick, RDN-LDN &

SMART Ways to Incorporate Easy to Implement Bar Concepts Using Global Trends and Comfort Classics! Looking for a little inspiration to help boost your menu cycle into the new year? Welcome to our new column featuring bites of nutrition knowledge and insight for your team’s menu creation needs. Here you can digest four menu recipe categories to customize, create and expand your cycle for improved customer satisfaction. Throughout this year look forward to “Harvest of the Month”, “Simply Fresh”, “Global on Trend/Ethnically Diverse’’, and “Comfort Classic” recipes to fill your team’s idea baskets. These recipes are sure to help create dishes that students will love and can easily be created in your kitchens to increase participation in your menus.

Let’s get BACK to Basics of BARS and CHOICE!

When we think about the most popular restaurants among today’s youth they all seem to have a common theme - customized meals! There is usually an array of ingredients that can be selected to customize your sub, wrap, or bowl. Go to any college or university food court and find a world of “steal this idea” concepts and cuisines that have us asking ourselves - how can we make this work for our students? Whether you are new to school nutrition, or have been around the block a few times - the idea of behavioral economics is not one to ignore when upping your cafeteria bar menu game! For a quick introduction - we dusted off this oldie but goodie for your viewing pleasure! The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many school districts to scale back offerings and limit choices presented in the cafeteria. Additionally, in early childhood centers that may have been previously serving family style meals, the pandemic has halted some of those practices. Rather than offering food from serving dishes and passing the foods around the table for children to serve themselves, pre-plated

meals are frequently being used. As we emerge from the pandemic it is time to take advantage of offer-vs- serve and revisit smarter lunchroom principles. This provides students a spectrum of choices that promote healthful eating behaviors and sustainability while making the cafeteria an extension of the classroom. Often to create that crowd pleasing bar concept you need to look no further than pairing some comfort classics with some add-ons to create some customizable make-it-your-way entrees. Think macaroni and cheese being elevated with Tex-Mex or BBQ topping options. The options are really endless - waffle bar, tot bar , yogurt parfait bar, Mediterranean bar , nacho bar, pasta bar, baked potato bar, hot dog or burger bar, sub bar… The number of options don’t need to be overwhelming. Giving students three to five choices offers customization without putting a strain on your workflow. Take a tour and hear from the cook of this simple bar concept in action.

Pisanick Partners is a nutrition and operations based consulting firm with decades of experience in Child Nutrition. We have refined our approach through creation of cycle menus, training and development of staff, and implementing strategies that take on the task of not only attaining nutritional excellence, but also financial success in the K-12 environment. Our experience not only supports a school district in meeting all state and federal mandates for implementing the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, but also the menu creation with an eye for detail and meticulous organization. The objective is to quickly and accurately evaluate, analyze and organize a district’s nutritional program to insure compliance and easy on-going maintenance.

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