ARAMARK STUDENT NUTRITION TURNS STUDENT FEEDBACK INTO MENU INNOVATION FOR 2023-24
Marygrace Taylor
Among the new creations are Chipotle Cheese Nachos, Egg Roll in a Bowl, Spicy Tzatziki Beef Gyro, and Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit Tostada.
Student voices took priority as Aramark Student Nutrition geared up for a new school year with SN Insights 360. a refreshed platform for student engagement that uses a holistic strategy to link student feedback with its nutrition and culinary programs to offer healthy, great-tasting options for the new school year. SN Insights 360 is a proprietary,
country that pools that expertise to develop attractive, on- trend recipes for schools. Led by culinary and nutrition Vice President Beth Ann Engelland, the Culinary Alliance tests new products to see if they will work in a school setting, making sure that their toughest critics were there to try the new recipes. Among the latest creations
comprehensive program for community feedback that uses a variety of research methodologies to discover emerging needs of students through annual surveys, in-café evaluations,
are Chipotle Cheese Nachos, Egg Roll in a Bowl, Spicy Tzatziki Beef Gyro, and Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit Tostada.
action committees, focus groups, customer journey mapping and tasting events. “SN Insights 360 is an actionable, exciting way for students to make sure that they influence their daily nutrition,” says Aramark Student Nutrition President/CEO Barbara Flanagan. “It isn’t just a feedback form or a checklist task—it is a broad-based
Engaging children to learn about the foods they are eating is another priority and Aramark’s ACE Mascot program is designed to deliver impactful content to children in the first through third grades with “kid-preferred” videos.
Meanwhile, the ACE puppet— an energetic fox—teaches kids the importance of healthy habits through games, short video clips, mindful moments, and multiple- choice questions.
initiative built to empower future generations. It keeps the focus on the students and their dynamic needs.”
To leverage the feedback into culinary results, Student Nutrition launched a Nutrition Network this past March that combined the resources of more than 60 registered dietitian nutritionists to share information and best practices. Their input was then integrated with a revamped Culinary Alliance to re-examine and develop innovative, new school menus. The Culinary Alliance is composed of 15 Aramark Chefs in different regions of the
“We continually look for new ways to adapt, refresh, and lead the way in serving our school communities,” said Flanagan. “We believe in taking a hard look at everything we do—whether with excellence or with opportunity—and using that evaluation to build better programming and stronger relationships. To do that, we are laser-focused on student engagement, culinary innovation, and community connection.”
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