Feed the World

Issue No. 20 November-December 2022

to celebrate food diversity in your cafes 10 WAYS Why student FOOD CULTURE matters to your program

The GLOBALIZATION of food: TRENDS across the USA

EXPANDED MENUS a cultural bridge for students

In November, AmTab brought in school nutrition experts, Pisanick Partners and NuFood Consultants, to their facility in Illinois for a one-day Summit for 24 districts around the US. Attendees engaged in three learning sessions, experienced a facility tour, and had a night out in Chicago with the AmTab team. Where will a NxtGen Summit take you next?

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Click here to learn more about NxtGen Summits

Contents

12 food diversity ways to celebrate in your cafes by Pisanick Partners 10

The GLOBALIZATION OF FOOD: Trends Across the United States International Food Solutions Della M. Collins, SNS

FROM THE BLOG with Nadira Johnson

The Importance of School Meals in Food Deserts

18 20

Elevate the Dining Experience For Your Students Creating Spaces

From our Partners 15 | Cargill 19 | Learning From

2 | NxtGen Network

23 | Calling All

Summit: AmTab Fall 2022 Symposium

Contributors We want your voice in Served!

Restaurants with Nation’s Restaurant News

There’s More

Contents

A trip to

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

Ready-to-Use Tips

DISTRICT spotlight

What It’s All About and How to Easily Put it On Your Menu Quesabirria:

Culinary Services - Seattle, WA Seattle Public Schools

Seattle Public Schools Expanded Menu: a Cultural Bridge to Student Identity and Learning

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The Globalization of Food: Trends Across the United States

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AmTab Symposium Recap A NxtGen Network Summit Letter from the Editors & Served Highlights District Spotlight: Seattle Public Schools Expanded Menu: a Cultural Bridge to Student Plastic Free Lunch Day Recap USFA & Creative Culture celebrate the success of Plastic Free Lunch Day 2022 Edible Education 10 Ways to Celebrate Food Diversity in Your Cafes! with Pisanick Partners Menus of Flavor with the ICN ICN Resource of the Month Creating Spaces Elevate the Dining Experience For Your Students with AmTab by Conor Doyle Learning from Restaurants with Nation’s Restaurant News Create Interactive Update Identity and Learning by Emme Ribeiro Collins

by Della M. Collins, SNS Ready-to-Use Tips

Quesabirria: What It’s All About and How to Easily Put it On Your Menu with Ready Foods by Annelise McAuliffe Soares USFA: From the Blog The Importance of School Meals in Food Deserts with Nadira Johnson Podcast Spotlight with Foodservice Powerplant Network, School Food Rocks Podcast, Next Up Podcast, and Nation’s Restaurant News, A Trip to India Flash Back to Bettina’s Trip to India by Bettina J. Applewhite, SNS Served Edition Recap Revisit past editions of Served at the click of your finger

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A letter from our editors

Why is it so difficult to add a new menu item to the elementary school menu? Our tiniest customers are slow to make choices, suspect of color, and refuse to have any food component touching another. Are they just picky eaters or are they products of their environment? Is this an extension of the ever horrid children’s menu which hides on the back of restaurant menus? No, children’s tastes are a direct reflection of their household food culture. That which they eat at home they will eat outside of the home. We, as school nutrition professionals, need to know what is on their dinner table at night. What foods are packed as snacks? What restaurants do your midday customers frequent outside of the school day? If a student is familiar with an item, flavor profile or concept, he or she is much more likely to risk their lunch choice on that entree or side. This logic further supports the investment of time in the taste test, giving students the opportunity to try a new food item without the risk. Food is an adventure that needs no translation and connects people across oceans. What we eat at family meals is an extension of love and comfort. Bring that sentiment into your cafeteria. We smile at our students, let’s honor them with dishes connected to their heart and homes. Want more inspiration check out this article by Anna Doogan on Tiny Bean. What 20 global school lunch recipes should our students try at least once?

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ICYMI: Article highlights from 2022

DISTRICT spotlight

Culinary Services - Seattle, WA Seattle Public Schools

Seattle Public Schools Expanded Menu: a Cultural Bridge to Student Identity and Learning

Supply Chain Manager Semhar Kifle grew up eating Misir Wot, a popular Ethiopian and Eritrea dish that is eaten during religious fasting for Lent. The vegan dish is high in protein, mildly spicy, hearty, and rich. Kifle was inspired to include this dish on the school menu when she saw students bringing their own lunch during Lent. “The goal was for students that look like me to see a menu item that reflects what they eat at home and to give other students an opportunity to try a new menu item,” Kifle said. Much like Kifle, the decision to include Lugaw, a Filipino version of congee, at a district elementary school, was inspired by the school’s kitchen manager’s background and the elementary school’s large Asian population. “The kitchen manager wanted to offer something familiar to students while expanding the palate of other students,” said Supply Chain Manager Eva Yablonsky Smith. “She remembers growing up in Manila and her mom making the dish for breakfast.”

https://vimeo.com/772567550

Seattle Public Schools Culinary Services Director Aaron Smith hopes to educate and welcome students through their taste buds. While students are offered pizza, fries, salad, and other traditional school menu items, schools also are including options that reflect the district’s diverse population. “The goal is to incorporate culture in our meals and be more inclusive,” said Smith. “After months of community and student engagement and planning, the Culinary Services Department was able to make this a reality.” Students now have the opportunity to eat Misir Wot (lentil stew) and Lugaw (rice porridge). For some, this is a taste of home, and for others, it’s an exposure to something different. For staff, this is a labor of love.

While the expanded school menu serves as a cultural bridge to student identity and

learning, it also allows the district to be locally sustainable and give back to the community.

MUST TRY RECIPE! Chicken & Chickpea Tikka Masala

“To make these diverse dishes, we are supporting local businesses for these fresh ingredients,” Smith said. “These family businesses might be a student’s mom, dad, uncle or aunt.” Currently, new cuisines are rotated through schools in the district’s five regions with the goal of growing the program and continuing to customize it based on student feedback.

1 tbsp

vegetable oil onion, diced ginger, minced garlic, minced tomato paste

1 tsp 1 tsp

Pacific NW Salmon Video

1 tbsp

14.5oz can diced tomato

1 tsp 1 cup

garam masala

cooked chicken diced or shredded

15.5oz can of chickpea

¼ cup

unsweetened coconut milk

4 cups water ¼ cup

cilantro, chopped

Black pepper, to taste Salt, to taste

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to soften and become translucent. Add ginger and garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. to other cultures through food can create a conversation among peers and help create an environment that ensures all students feel welcome in the cafeteria and at school.

“While students still can choose from a base menu, we continue to add a second option that might be Asian, Somali, or a dish from another country,” Smith said. “Ultimately, we want students to feel welcomed.”

Creating a safe welcoming environment is a key initiative for the district. Exposing students

When I immigrated to Seattle with my family and started attending the local school, one of my biggest adjustments was getting used to the typical American cafeteria lunch. This was so different from the homemade lunches I had back home. Most days, I would not eat lunch and go hungry all day at school. In 2019, my experience with SPS school lunch came full circle when I was hired as District Chef. Since joining SPS’s Culinary Services, I have made a great effort to bring more culturally relevant dishes to our diverse student body. One of the many dishes I created for our menu is this vegan-friendly, chickpea masala. This hearty stew is enjoyed by our students over steamed rice. www.chefemme.com www.soulandspicewa.com Emme Ribeiro Collins District Executive Chef at Seattle Public Schools

Celebrating Success Together!

Dallas ISD, San Diego USD, Baltimore City, Los Angeles USD, DeKalb County GA, Philadelphia, NYC and many more public schools across the US joined the Plastic-Free Lunch Day USA action on November 2, 2022! That’s over 4 million students served!

DALLAS ISD, TX

Forbes Road School District, PA

San Diego USD, CA

St. Timothy’s School, MN

DALLAS ISD, TX

We are a small, non-public school located in central MN. Many of our school lunches contain no single use plastic containers. We dispense salad dressings & other condiments from washable condiment bottles. Our ketchup & mustard are Red Gold brand and dispensed directly from the container. Other than the fruit cups from USDA, all of our fruits & vegetables are bulk frozen or packed in #10 cans. All cans, plastic ketchup & mustard jugs, and cardboard boxes are recycled whenever possible. We take pride in caring for our environment and ensuring its health for future generations. “

St. Timothy’s School, MN

Creating A Plastic Free Culture!

Plastic Free Lunch Day in San Diego Unified School District 20 min Listen or Watch

“

Most of our 200+ schools participated in the Plastic Free Lunch Day event on November 2nd. We turned our salad bars into “dipper bars” so no utensils were necessary. We also switched from salads served in clam shells to veggie burgers. The students seemed to enjoy a new variety of finger foods at the salad bars. Please enjoy the attached photos. We are hoping to have more plastic free lunch days in the future, possibly to celebrate Earth Week.

https://youtu.be/F8SxXcinAI8

In this episode of Next Up, your host, Marlon Gordon, meets with USFA member San Diego Unified School District. He chats with Melanie Moyer, Diego Robles, and Janelle Manzano about the success they saw in their districts 200 schools for Plastic Free Lunch Day. Listen in to learn what tips and tricks they used in their district to make this day as successful as it was.

San Diego USD, CA

Thank you to all the schools that joined us this year!

Cool School Cafe® is an easy way to enhance child nutrition meal programs. Earn Cool School Points by purchasing products from participating manufacturers. Real Simple. Real cool.

The Urban School Food Alliance, in collaboration with Cafeteria Culture and Cool School Cafe®, is encouraging districts to share Plastic Free Lunch Day stories!

Email Support@CoolSchoolCafe.com to share your impact for 250 Cool School Points (a few short sentences will be great)! Earn an additional 250 points for emailed photo(s)!* *Stories/photos must be submitted by December 16, 2022. Bonus points awarded for first 500 district submissions. One set of bonus points per district. Please allow 4-6 weeks for bonus point deposit.

USFA is committed to creating a culture within our organization that ensures an

Cafeteria Culture works creatively with youth to achieve equitable zero waste, climate-smart school

equitable experience for all stakeholders and equitable access to healthy school meals for all students. In pursuit of this, we are committed to fostering a diverse workforce, board of directors and membership base and being intentional about including a diversity of voices in school food conversations.

communities and a plastic free biosphere. Our programs foster youth-led solutions by merging citizen science, civic action, media, storytelling and the arts.

food diversity ways to celebrate in your cafes by Pisanick Partners 10

Look into any school cafeteria and you are likely to see kid-friendly“American food”such as burgers, pizza and nuggets as the menu staples. Yet, one of the great things about America is the racial and ethnic diversity of its population and the array of customs, languages, religions, celebrations and food traditions that each population brings with them. Take a look into your cafeteria. What are the demographics of your students? Do you have foods on the menus that would make ALL children in your cafeteria feel like they belong and their traditions are valued? Incorporating culturally appropriate foods on school menus provides the opportunity not only to increase participation among specific populations, but it also gives their classmates the opportunity to learn about, explore and participate in enjoying those foods. We offer these strategies to incorporate more cultural diversity on your menus. Are students and parents whose primary language is not English able to read and understand what is on your menu? If your menu software offers translation capabilities, educate families who would benefit from this feature about how it functions. Offer to #1 Ensure menu understanding for all.

print your menus for non-English speaking families into their native language which can easily be done with various apps such as Google Translate. #2 Involve your parents in your menu development. Ask your parents to send in their favorite family recipes and then make them school friendly (sorry Grandma, your recipe has WAY too much butter!). We took a grandma’s favorite Chicken Paprikash Soup Recipe and adapted it to K12 compliance. There are vast number of untapped resources in the family customs and recipes right in your own backyard. Highlight these recipes with an event celebrating “try day” recipes with cultural traditions and flavors representing the diversity in your school community! #3 Utilize resources that offer culturally diverse school recipes. All editions of our cookbook feature ‘GOT Recipes’. We say GOT (Global on Trend) but might as well say “GOAT” - greatest of all time. Take your taste buds on vacation with these well traveled recipes that stamp your

palette passport. It is never too early to introduce children to new foods and our cookbook flavors. By researching popular flavor profiles and testing these GOT recipes we aim to bring different spices and flavors that are experienced around the world. We celebrate flavor inspiration that include favorites from Puerto Rico, Asia, Lebanon and more to offer a diversity of flavor on your menu. The Korean Spicy Cucumbers recipe may be a staple on some children’s dinner tables, while for others it offers the experience to try something new. Hop on board and travel through different countries and experience the different flavors, aromas and tastes while trying our recipes. #4 Conduct a Try Day with a purpose. Before adding a new recipe to your menus, conduct a Try Day and offer samples. This gives students both the opportunity to try something new without committing to selecting it as their entree choice, but also encourages and fosters cultural awareness and appreciation. “Don’t YUCK my Yum” is a favorite saying we use with our elementary school students to build sensitivity in the cafeteria and inclusion for students with diverse backgrounds and palettes. #5 Use SMARTER LUNCHROOM to enhance choice. At secondary schools, our goal for a SMARTER LUNCHROOM vibe includes food court style service that breathes life and vision into the choice architecture and presents the perfect TRY THIS stage. How about creating a “Cultural Cafe of the Day” and expanding your menu cycle with these favorites: Indian Curry Bowl, Mediterranean Rice Bowl, or Korean BBQ Beef Bowl ?

A great way to celebrate cultures and diversity is to plan a “trip around the world” week. Each day can focus on a different cuisine such as Asian Fusion, Latin, Ethiopian or Indian.This is an opportunity for students to experience flavors from around the globe. How about a global passport with a fun prize upon completion? #6 Plan a trip around the world. Who doesn’t love celebrations and opportunities to offer new and fun foods to try? Think outside of the traditional American holidays. Here are some fun global celebrations: #7 Put some global celebration days on your menu.

• Holi Festival of Color (India) • Dia De Los Muertos (Mexico) • La Tomatina (Spain) • Carnival (Brazil)

During times of natural disaster (like hurricanes) or war (like the conflict in Ukraine), you may see a spike in refugee or transplanted groups who become new customers in your cafeteria. Considering culturally sensitive comfort classics like a traditional Borscht Recipe is not only empathetic, but is also a way to present sometimes “hard to like” veggies like beets! #8 Honor our opportunity to serve.

Read On

One size does not fit all with menu innovation - not even for smaller districts. Monitor where menu participation is across your district’s sites. Some schools may lie in areas where dense populations of different cultural and ethnic groups are concentrated across the geographic region. We chatted with a Chicago area director whose district’s diversity is so vast they may serve pierogies at one school building but down the street need to offer another meal choice because a pierogi wouldn’t be accepted by that school’s population and would negatively affect participation. #9 Remember to “read the room.”

#10

Learn more and partner.

Read up from our friends at Food Corps on S.H.I.F.T.I.N.G. our perspective. They remind us that food itself is an essential driver of positive changes to foster equity and inclusion. Especially in our schools.

Click here to get a FREE copy of Pisanick Partners 75-page cookbook!

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

Looking for a little inspiration to help boost your menu cycle? Welcome to our 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 menu for improved customer satisfaction. How about an easy to use cookbook with “Harvest of the Month,” “Simply Fresh,” “Global Trends,” and “Comfort Classic” recipes to fill your team’s idea basket? These recipes are sure to help inspire dishes that students will love and can easily be created in your kitchens to increase participation.

Meet our leadership team (From left to right) Marge Robison, MPH, RDN-LDN Sarah Carlson, MS, RD-LD David Pisanick, Co-Founder, CFO Maureen Pisanick, RDN-LDN Founder, CEO Tina Hastings, Operations Specialist Gina Nash, Operations Specialist (not pictured)

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.

Crave -worthy RECIPES Try ours: CHECK OUT CHEF JESSE’S CRUNCHY EGG WRAP A simple, savory build with egg patty, ham and cheese inside a handheld tortilla. Share yours & WIN BIG! SCORE A $500 DONATION FOR YOUR SCHOOL SEE THE VIDEO RECIPE Swpakes

Help us share your best Sunny Fresh ® recipes and inspire other K-12 operators.

RECIPE Swpakes

ENTER NOW!

Menu Magic Explore dozens of inventive egg recipes and videos – for breakfast & lunch. MAKE MORE

GET WOWED!

Meet the Chef Chef Jesse Moore

Chef Jesse Moore leverages his 20+ years of commercial kitchen experience to help K-12 operators bring restaurant-style concepts, flavors and everyday pragmatism to their menus. Learn more about Chef Jesse and our accomplished team of Cargill Chefs .

Menus of Flavor

Menus of Flavor, developed by the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition (CICN), is a three-part series of four-hour, instructor-led, hands-on training focusing on global regions’ healthful and flavorful foods. During each training, participants will recognize the benefits of scratch cooking, using the ingredients and flavors commonly found in the regional cuisine of focus. Participants will identify basic culinary skills and apply the skills during the hands-on culinary lab, preparing meals using regional recipes, further reinforcing the learning. After the training, participants will be able to recognize the benefits of scratch cooking, use global ingredients, and apply various culinary skills and competencies to their daily work. The three regional topics that will be covered in this training series include Mediterranean Cuisine, Latin Flavors, and East and Southeast Asian Fusion. Menus of Flavor: East and Southeast Asian Fusion The East and Southeast Asian Fusion lesson introduces the flavor profiles of countries in these two regions of Asia. East Asian flavors are taught with recipes inspired by the cuisines of Japan, China, and South Korea. Southeast Asian flavors highlight recipes inspired by dishes from Thailand and Vietnam. Hands-on practice allows participants to gain additional culinary skills in scratch and speed-scratch food preparation. Recipes featured in this lesson include but are not limited to Japanese-Inspired Chicken Teriyaki, Crispy Tofu, Chinese-Inspired Noodles, Vietnamese-Inspired Clay Pot Chicken, Vietnamese-Inspired Banh Mi, and Thai Red Curry Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Participants will gain knowledge of East and Southeast Asian flavor profiles by using ingredients unique to these cuisines and tasting and evaluating the final dishes. • Available now for download and ICN training registration! • Download the resource here • Register for training here

Coming Soon! Menus of Flavor: Mediterranean

The Mediterranean lesson introduces the flavor profiles of countries in the Mediterranean region of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Mediterranean flavors are taught with recipes inspired by the cuisines of Greece, Lebanon, Israel, and Morocco. Hands-on practice allows participants to gain additional culinary skills in scratch and speed-scratch food preparation. Recipes featured in this lesson include but are not limited to Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Greek-Style Tzatziki, Middle Eastern-Inspired Chicken Shawarma, Lebanese-Inspired Mujaddara, and Moroccan-Inspired Harissa Yogurt Sauce. Participants will gain knowledge of Mediterranean flavor profiles by using ingredients unique to these cuisines, and tasting and evaluating the final dishes. The Latin American lesson provides an introduction to the flavor profiles of countries in the Latin American region of North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Latin American flavors are taught with recipes inspired by the cuisines of Mexico, Cuba, and Peru. Hands-on practice allows participants to gain additional culinary skills in scratch and speed- scratch food preparation. Recipes featured in this lesson include but are not limited to Mexican-Inspired Pulled Pork, Spicy Quick Pickled Carrots, Pico de Gallo, Cuban-Inspired Black Beans and Rice, Sweet Plantains, and Peppy Quinoa. Participants will gain knowledge of Latin American flavor profiles by using ingredients unique to these cuisines, and tasting and evaluating the final dishes. Coming Soon! Menus of Flavor: Latin American

WEBINARS Recent

Understanding Cultural Foodways in School Communities

Successful Implementation of Culturally Inclusive School Meals This webinar discusses ways a school menu featuring culturally relevant meals

This webinar discusses how school meal programs serve many diverse communities with a variety of dietary needs and preferences. The school menu is a great place for students and families to see themselves reflected when meals relevant to their culture are included. Offering culturally inclusive menu items is also a way for students to learn more about their peers. This webinar will provide a road map for community outreach and engagement around religious and cultural foodways. Enroll here Today!

accomplishes two things: 1) cultural and religious foodways are met, and 2) the school community is exposed to an exciting diversity of foods and flavors. As the school-age population becomes increasingly food-savvy, culturally inclusive school meals are a win-win. On this webinar, we are joined by leaders from school districts in Michigan, California, and Washington state, who will provide examples of identifying and implementing culturally inclusive meals in schools. Enroll here Today!

*All participants will receive a completion certificate and Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

The Child Nutrition Recipe Box (CNRB) provides child nutrition operators with recipes: • To prepare healthy and delicious meals that meet meal pattern requirements • Standardized to provide meal pattern crediting information for meal pattern components • Made with legumes, whole grains, and vegetables from the vegetables subgroups, including dark green, red, and orange vegetables. Visit TheICN.org/CNRB to check out these multicultural recipes and more!

Curry Vegetables

La caja de recetas de nutrición infantil (Child Nutrition Recipe Box) le proporciona a los operadores de Programas de Nutrición Infantil recetas: • para pareparar comidas saludables y decliciosas que cumplen con los requisites del patron de comidas • que están estandarizadas para proporcionar la información de acreditación de los components del patrón de comidas • preparadas con legumbres, granos integrals y vegetales incluyendo los subgrupos de vegetales de color verde oscuro, rojo y anaranjado TheICN.org/CNRB-ES

Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Diversity and Inclusion Survey

ICN is committed to providing ongoing support for emphasizing diversity and inclusion in school nutrition programs. We are dedicated to working with school nutrition professionals and those supporting school nutrition to provide education and training opportunities in this topic area. Please take the time to complete this short survey telling us about diversity and inclusion in your school nutrition programs.

CNSS is an online information center providing child nutrition professionals with a means for sharing effective resources related to program operation. Visit the TheICN.org/CNSS to check out these multicultural resources and all other resources that are available!

• Cultural Foods: These slides discuss best practices for integrating different cultural foods in a Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) menu. • Multicultural Child Care Recipes and More!: This resource provides multicultural meal ideas and recipes for family daycare home providers.

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 Subscribe to ICN Newsletters and Resource Update Emails Here!

Conor is actively involved in this school nutrition company who helps provide valuable insight on café modernization projects across the country. His 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! Digital Marketing Specialist, AmTab Manufacturing Conor Doyle Creating Spaces

Elevate the Dining Experience For Your Students

School food courts across the country are preparing some amazing and nutritious dishes for students. You go on social media and the wide array of different options that students can eat during school breakfast and lunch has drastically evolved since the times we were in school. Evolution always starts in the kitchen and the last piece of the puzzle is the change of the actual food court. When you combine the presentation of amazing food for students with an outstanding look at the food court you have a truly winning dining experience.

the one seen above help make your food court a destination for your students. You want to create an environment that is warm and inviting for your students which is exactly what they did here. Not every café design needs to be an elaborate one. Sometimes you might just want to add a few signage and graphics to be sprinkled in your room. The little addition will help elevate the dining experience for your students. You might want to add some signage near your kitchen area and serving lines as well. Remember, you don’t

have to go all out in your food court. Adding some color and school logos help symbolize to students that they are valued. Making those additions will translate to happier students and you can’t ask for more than that!

Now, isn’t that a beautiful food court for students? It is a space that is filled with school colors, school name, school logo, floor graphics, wall graphics, and signage near the kitchen area. This school really made it their focal point to transform the aesthetics of their food court to match the amazing food that they are serving to their students. Additions like

Click here to Learn how your food court can be transformed!

LEARNING FROM RESTAURANTS with

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Articles, Interviews, Videos, Podcasts, and More!

The GLOBALIZATION OF FOOD: Trends Across the United States International Food Solutions Della M. Collins, SNS

Current food trends across the United States are vastly different than that of past decades. Thanks to modern technology, advances in farming, streamlined efficiencies in preserving food and increased demand for on-trend meals, globalization of food is a trend that is here to stay.

Food globalization is more than an ethnic trend taking hold in local restaurants, cafes, and eateries. What exactly is “food globalization?” It takes food, cuisine, dishes, ingredients, and cooking methods from cultures across the globe and intertwines that into domestic purchases, recipes, and

restaurant concepts. It takes “fusion cuisine” to another level.

Consider the five tastes your tongue can identify: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Can you imagine a dish that hits all five of those points, using elevated globalization food trends? Students today are far more food savvy and knowledgeable about food and food trends. So, how do we stay ahead with the trends? Easy. Look at what the restaurants are doing. There will always be more prevalent culturally chosen dishes that stay at the top of menus and order guides. If you look back at the past few decades, the terminology and dishes have evolved to be more specific; as diners do not want to simply go for “Chinese” they seek a broader range of Asian cuisine such as dumplings, pho, pad thai, dim sum or the experience of a Japanese Steakhouse. Latin items like chimichangas, jerk chicken, chicken tinga, nachos, elote, street tacos, sopas and pozole continue to top the charts of “what’s popular.” There is an uptick in Mediterranean cuisine also. Hummus, falafel, tabbouleh, and rice bowls are trending nationally in quick style restaurants like CAVA and Zoe’s Kitchen. Another popular and flavorful cuisine is Indian food which is known for its flavorful curry spice. Curry is extremely regional as the blends can vary from region to region based upon availability of spices, cost of spices, cultural preferences, and generational recipes. Many associate curries with being spicy whereas curry is a British term for “sauce.” Not all Indian curry is spicy, more so just flavorful. Indian food is heavily seasoned, using a wide variety of cooking methods and applications. New quick service restaurants like “Curry Up” and “Curry Spice” are popping up across strip malls in America. Is there one in your town?

Food is a beautifully loud language that every human understands. “

Food is a beautifully loud language that every human understands. Food is fuel for your body. Food shared with friends and family is an experience. Your favorite dish prepared by your grandmother is food made with love. Food has such diverse meaning across the globe, with each culture having their own set of rules around dietary consumption, religious preferences and rituals. The United States is incredibly fortunate with an abundance of opportunity to capture food globalization and recreate it at home. The expansive cultural diversity, open trade policy, education around cultural norms and dietary restriction studies allow for the dialogue to shift from “What can we offer” to “What is popular.” So, what is popular? FLAVOR. Diners seek flavor in the way of fresh ingredients and quality spices. Flavor is more than just salt and pepper!

Read On

Chicken Tinga Loaded Tot-chos

So, how do we stay ahead with the trends? Look at what the restaurants are doing. “ Easy.

Based on market research conducted by Statista, the most popular ethnic cuisines in America are not so surprising. 64% of the category is owned by Asian cuisine and 59% of the category is owned by Latin cuisine. Surprisingly, the third most popular in that category is Italian. There are sixteen thousand more Italian restaurants in the United States than that of Asian and Latin. It was fun to do market research on what is trending and what we can expect for the next ethnic food craze. Of course, plant based,

plant forward and flexible protein options all came to the forefront of most articles. Sushi, bibimbap, pho and dim sum are category leaders in Asian cuisine. In school nutrition, we do see pho bars,dumplings and potstickers on menus. Latin foods are still a placeholder in the cafeteria as this category also has so much to offer. It would behoove any menu planner to take a deep dive at their ADP and analyze how to incorporate more Asian and Latin meals into low participation days. Most importantly, ask your students what ethnic flavors they want to see on the menu!

Della M. Collins, SNS Regional Account Manager, Asian Food Solutions & Comida Vida

Della’s passion for Culinary Arts and School Nutrition allow her to bring innovative solutions to the K-12 segment. Working eleven years with a large school system in Maryland allowed her to gain knowledge, vision and harness ability to create culinary training programs as well as write menus for all facets of child nutrition. Della prides herself on being organized; forward thinking while considering how food and products will be received by students who participate in the meal programs. She looks to modern food trends for intuitive menu placement and considerations. Additionally, she stays relevant with packaging and environmental trends; which work symbiotically with the K-12 population.

Calling all CONTRIBUTORS We Want YOUR Voice in Served!

Your Words: Two Ways

Cover Article

Feature Article

Cover articles are the main content of each of our editions. Space is limited to only three articles per month - and also get title space on the cover. Cover articles must directly relate to the monthly theme of Served Digizine (see below). Articles can include pictures, videos/audio, and written word. For the best-looking article, your written content should be between 800-900 words. Videos should be submitted with link to web hosted video. Things to remember when writing a Cover Article:

Feature articles are simply shorter articles and information that support the monthly theme of each edition but do not have to be directly related. Preference will be given to features that fit the edition theme most closely. Things to remember when writing a Feature Article: Articles can include pictures, videos/audio, and written word. For the best-looking article, your written content should be between 400-450 words. Videos should be submitted with link to web hosted video.

2023 Monthly Themes

January: Trends in School Nutrition March: Building Blocks of SN Programs April: Sustainability June: Success & Celebration: Honoring SY 2022-23

July: Professional Development September: Back to School! Starting Strong October: Farm to School December: Time to Recharge

Hey Industry! We want your thoughts and opinions too! We welcome articles from industry members at no charge! Contributions can’t be brand or product specific - but you can link to your contact info in your bio! Contact Us For More Info!

Don’t forget to submit your bio too!

Chef Sharon Schaefer, SNS

Resident Chef, NxtGen Network; Owner of Evolution of a Lunch Lady, LLC Director of Food & Nutrition Services, Gretna Public Schools

Since childhood Sharon was on a quest to make healthy food taste great! That love of all things delicious led her to The Culinary Institute of America. After completing her externship at The Food Network, Sharon discovered a world of how to share great food through media. Owner of Evolution of the Lunch Lady, LLC, and Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Gretna Public Schools, Chef Sharon Schaefer, SNS frequently takes her culinary chops and K12 experience on the road as a highly sought after Key Note Speaker and school nutrition trainer.

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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!

What It’s All About and How to Easily Put it On Your Menu Quesabirria: This month, as we celebrate people and flavors from around the world, we want to talk about (and eat!) the ever-trending birria… or quesabirria to be exact!

What is the History of Quesabirria?

Legend has it that this culinary creation was first served in Tijuana, Mexico and even enjoyed for breakfast. It later traveled north to LA, then made waves in San Francisco and is now being served across the USA. Social media helped this taco creation’s fame skyrocket and soon lines were wrapping down the street for food trucks’ Quesabirria. It’s no surprise. It is true comfort food and totally Instagram-able. How to Make Quesabirria The beauty of Quesabirria is that it leaves so much room for each chef’s interpretation and unique flavors. Here’s how we have been making Quesabirria lately: combine a chili-forward Enchilada Sauce with broth or water. Cook the meat (it can totally be a tough, affordable cut of meat) low and slow for about 5 hours in the oven. Reserve the broth when cooking is complete! Dip tortillas in the broth to give them a beautiful, reddish hue and warm them on a flat top, fill with cheese and the juicy, braised meat. Fold the tortilla over once the cheese starts to melt and flip, cooking both sides of the tortilla until crispy. Serve the Quesabirria with freshly chopped onions and cilantro, along with a cup of the braising liquid for dipping or sipping. Show your young eaters that food doesn’t have to come from a food truck to be Instagram-able!

Quesabirria: A taco meets a quesadilla and is served with a delightful sauce. What is Quesabirria? You’ve probably seen this mouthwatering dish popping up on food truck menus or flooding your TikTok feed, but what exactly is Quesabirria (besides delicious)? Quesabirria consists of tortillas filled with meat (lamb, beef, goat or even vegetarian jackfruit) that has been braised in a consommé broth flavored with chili and spices. Along with the meat in the tortilla is a good melting cheese, like an Oaxaca cheese. Once filled with meat and cheese, the folded tortillas are fried until the cheese begins to melt. Serve the creation with a side of the braising liquid, chopped onions and cilantro.

“Developing those capable of being the light in a word of food insecurities.”

NxtGen Pro is a national professional development, networking, and mentorship program that will provide a unique level and quality of continued education to those in foodservice. When we say foodservice, we mean ALL of foodservice. We don’t care if you are a chef, a restaurant owner, if you work in colleges and universities, if you’re a Child Nutrition Professional or in any food industry. There is something to gain from collaborating and learning from/with those in other verticals, and tons of innovation to follow. Everybody will have the ability to apply to the program as a mentee or a mentor and pairings will be made based on personalities and goals. NxtGen Pro will be the place where the best and brightest future leaders (and new leaders!) come together and will include in-person and virtual meetups. For more information on NxtGen Pro as it becomes available, register below.

Below are some of our first mentors:

Kayla Beyer, Esq. Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Deeply Rooted Farms

Alyssa Bradbury-Hills VP of Sales Retail/Foodservice, Deeply Rooted Farms

Stephanie Gilbert, CFSP Exec. Vice President, Corporate Growth Strategy, Food Service Holdings

Beverly Girard, PHD, MBA, RD, SNS Owner, Leading Edge Training and Consulting

Stefanie Giannini, MA, SNS Director of Food & Nutrition Services, Founder of IVATI, Public Speaker & Educator

Malaika Jenkins, MA Manager of Marketing, Cybersoft

Jill Kidd Director of Procurement, Urban School Food Alliance

Mickinzie Lopez, MS, RDN, SNS Co-Founder, LunchAssist

Shannon Solomon, MS, SNS Director of Child Nutrition, Aurora Public Schools

Jessica Shelley, MBA, SNS, REHS Director of Student Dining Services, Cincinnati Public Schools

Tracie Suter, SNS K12 Schools Market Segment Manager, Vulcan

Jason Wange Foodservice Positivity Ambassador, Foodservice Powerplant

Jeremy West, MS, SNS Director of Partnerships & Member Engagement, Urban School Food Alliance

Ervin Watson, MBA Business & Marketing Strategy, Leadership Development, Coach & Trainer, Organizational Consultant, Professional Public Speaker

Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS Executive Director, Urban School Food Alliance

Donnette Worthy, SNS Director of Child Nutrition, Alexander City Schools

FROM THE BLOG

with Nadira Johnson

The Importance of School Meals in Food Deserts

School meals play a critical role in ensuring children receive healthy meals. In fact, a study conducted by Tufts University found that schools serve the healthiest meals in America. For years, many districts were required to collect applications and income verification from families to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. However, federal nutrition waivers allowed schools to provide free meals to all students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthy school meals at no cost to families positively impact all students, but can be especially important for children living in food deserts. Food deserts are areas with limited access to healthy and affordable food. Communities in which 33% of the population are low-income and located more than one mile from a grocery store in an urban area or 10 miles in a rural area are considered food deserts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture . For children living in food deserts, school is most likely where they receive their most nutritious meals. Many children consume up to half of their caloric intake at school. School meals are vital for ensuring that children living in food deserts or experiencing food insecurity receive a well-balanced meal for breakfast and lunch. Because these food deserts are short on healthy, affordable food options, they are more

likely to have multiple fast-food restaurants promoting unhealthy food items at a low cost. For families struggling to make ends meet and those with limited transportation options, food from the value menu at a fast-food restaurant is more affordable and accessible than a healthy meal from a grocery store that may be miles away. School meals provide consistent and accessible nutritious meals for breakfast and lunch. In addition to supporting good nutrition, school meals are positively associated with student mental health, physical health, and academic performance.

In many low-income communities, schools may participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows them to serve meals to all students at no cost. Instead, these schools use enrollment in other state and federal means based programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), to determine eligibility and a formula for reimbursement. However, for students attending a school that is not a part of the CEP and living in a food desert, access to nutritious meals may be limited. Many families have reported being a few dollars short of qualifying for free or reduced priced lunches, but still in need. Similarly, some families may qualify for reduced lunch, but still may find it unaffordable. Students who are unable to afford school lunch are forced to bring their own lunch, incur school meal debt, or not eat at all.

Individuals who live in food deserts are shown to have higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, which are all public health concerns associated with higher mortality rates. Access to school meals for all children ensures no child falls through the nutritional cracks and can mitigate the poor health outcomes associated with living in a food desert for students. Given the growing body of evidence that has shown that school meals are often the healthiest meals children consume, it is critical that all students continue to have access to them at no cost beyond the pandemic. Children living in food deserts are especially in need. Until affordable access to grocery stores, supermarkets, and community sustained agriculture are available everywhere, school meals remain the primary source of good nutrition for students residing in food deserts. All families should be able to rest easy knowing that their children are receiving the healthiest meals in America without experiencing a financial burden. The health and success of our future generations are dependent on school meals!

For children living in food deserts, not having access to free school meals could prove detrimental to their academic success and overall well-being.

To Learn more about USFA and read additional blog posts visit USFA online here.

Take a look inside the most recent USFA member meeting in Baltimore, MD.

Nadira Johnson, DrPH Student Morgan State University School of Community Health and Policy

https://youtu.be/Jwr0IQ5AwL0

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