Trends | January 2023

create the same product as a reimbursable meal. We have seen some incredible charcuterie in school meals programs that go beyond meat, cheese, crackers, and fruit. Don’t just take it from me, look at those beautiful examples! Breaking down the walls If you have been to a recent convention, you have seen a transformation from rectangle tables, with little round seats connected and 4-6 inches apart. You see tables, chairs, alternative seating, high tops, bright colors, and a big one-food court! I talked with Roy Pistone of Citrus County School Board in Florida, and Rae Hollenbeck, former Director of Osceola County Schools in Florida. Both are cutting edge and ahead of their times, designing beautiful concepts before it was trendy as you can see below. Roy went as far as having tile mosaics that went along with the type of food to be served in each food court section. The beautiful details really set this one apart. Of course, good food accompanies the aesthetics, but a good atmosphere surely helps! We expect to see more non-traditional cafeterias in 22-23. Scratch Cooking mixed with local foods Growing up, do you remember when almost everything in school lunch was homemade? Some have strayed from this for many years, but scratch cooking and speed-scratch are making a comeback. Someone I consider an expert on this is Joe Urban, Director of Food And Nutrition Services in Greenville County Schools . If you follow Joe’s new podcast, School Food Rocks, or Facebook, you know that Joe is a leading industry expert, often lending insight to Districts across the country. He says, “I believe an exemplary school foodservice program has an appropriate mix of scratch, speed-scratch, and high-quality prepared menu offerings, this is our model in Greenville. Some of our most popular scratch made items include Taco Beef, Vegetarian Chili, Meatloaf, Fried Rice for our Asian Bar, Mac N Cheese, Shepherd’s Pie, and Philly Cheesesteaks.

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Meatloaf video

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