Hot Tips & Tricks to Get Kids Excited to Eat!
Show kids where their food comes from This is cool. Fork Farms, LLC sells hydroponic gardens across the country that require minimal effort and pump out some fancy greens (and cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, herbs, peppers… anything that’s not a root veggie!). Feature that baby right in your cafeteria so kids can look at it when they’re coming through your line. Then, when you serve the produce on the line, tell them exactly where it came from! Don’t be afraid to give them samples off the unit either. And have them help grow the food. Talk with the kids I cannot stress this enough!! How can you know what your customer base is looking for without talking to them? I eat lunch with the elementary kids about 3 times per week, and make sure to mosey around the
Authentic food matters My pet peeve as a food service director is when we call American tacos “south of the border.” Absolutely not, my friends. Those are not authentically south of anything past our US border. I live in Northeast Wisconsin and our students know better than that. We have started serving authentic cuisines and the students know and love it. We’ve attracted more people who are saying one of two things: 1. This is what I eat at home; or 2. Thank you for making a real meal for me. Utilize bars You want to spice up your menu? How about trying a new layout with your salad bar or steam table line? Don’t just have spaghetti; have 2 types of pasta, 2-3 sauces, and different toppings for the kids. Put different sauces on chicken wings. We eat with our eyes first. Remember this!
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