Chefs help to Change the Scene of School Nutrition

(... an update from a previous post..)

Great Grains Culinary Boot Camp for our sta

Three years ago, our district made the very strategic decision to hire a chef as part of our school nutrition department’s management team.    At the time, we were knee deep into implementing the nutrition guidelines of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), intent on serving the children in our district the healthiest meals possible and striving to maintain our customer base.  Our strategy & goals were for our chef to help us manage these ever changing AND challenging guidelines.   Our plan was to have our chef assist us with recipe & menu development, nutrient analysis, educating and supporting staff to develop culinary skills and techniques, increasing local foods in our school cafeterias, and increasing interest and excitement at the school level by regularly cooking in our school kitchens at “not guest” Chef events.

Chef Samantha Cowens-Gasbarro
works with students in classroom
school garden cooking activity

As I look back at the past 3 years,  I am continually amazed at what a fantastic decision adding a chef to our team was!  I firmly believe that this was one of the best decisions Windham Raymond School Nutrition program has ever made.    At a critical time, when so many school nutrition programs have battled public perception and experienced decreasing participation, our program has thrived and even grown.  Over the past several years, breakfast and lunch participation has been increasing at all grade levels.  It is a frequent occurrence for parents to email us for recipes or comment that they wish THEY had so many great choices for lunch everyday. 

Why a chef??  

A 2015 study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has shown that "chef enhanced school meals increase healthy food consumption."

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/chef-enhanced-school-meals-increase-healthy-food-consumption/

The study shows evidence that while hosting Guest Chef events at schools can add excitement and lend positive public relations to school nutrition programs, having a chef on staff who tests and develops recipes and trains & supports school nutrition staff results in children learning to like AND enjoy healthy whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The study showed that hiring a chef who works with district school nutrition personnel improved the quality, flavor and palatability of the food, and not only decreases plate waste, but increases school meal participation.   

While our district was not part of this study, it could have been.  The research and outcomes have been mirrored in our district, since hiring our chef, Chef Samantha Cowens-Gasbarro as part of our School Nutrition team.   Chef Sam's culinary expertise has not only significantly impacted our staff's training level, acceptance of our menus and our participation but her presence & influence as part of our school nutrition team has encouraged students to embrace nutritious & healthy choices.   

Chef Sam’s duties include developing and taste testing new

recipes & foods, training and supporting staff as we increase “from scratch” cooking, adapting existing recipes to meet current USDA guidelines while maintaining palatability, and consistent culinary skill building with staff to increase productivity, efficiency and safety in the kitchen.  Chef Sam frequently works in the school kitchens, alongside school nutrition staff, making delicious and healthy meals.  This school year, we have been rolling out several new & exciting menu items, as well as working with our own signature herb & spice blends to decrease sodium in our recipes.  Across the board, the students are responding with rave reviews!

happy customers @ Windham High School

Chef Sam is a frequent visitor in classes, weaving good nutrition & healthy eating into our district's curriculum.  In class, students get to cook recipes such as curried carrot soup & carrot muffins made with school grown carrots.  They also get to taste test recipes & 

name them fun creative names for future menus.  Lessons include learning to read nutrition labels & introduction to new, healthy foods.  After school cooking classes also help to teach students more about healthy cooking and eating, as well as serve as a bridge to our districts families, as we send home samples and recipes and we get to meet parents during pick up time after class. 

Chefs are practically celebrities these days, with so many cooking shows on television and in the media, and school chefs are no exception.  There is incredible excitement when Chef Sam is in the kitchen.  Her delicious & nutritious health centered approach to cooking & eating inspires our menus, inspires our students and inspires us!   Any school district looking to build participation, credibility, excitement and enthusiasm for the school nutrition program should consider adding a chef to their team.  When chefs become part of a school nutrition team, the results are increased school meal enthusiasm, increased participation, decreased plate waste, and most importantly, increased consumption of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains in children. 

            

Fresh & Local - Lasagna made with fresh pasta

Adding a chef to our School Nutrition team has been a practical, sustainable way to embrace the Chefs Move to Schools movement. Chef Sam has been an integral part of the growth of our School Nutrition Program.  Our school nutrition team has passion & commitment to serving children the healthiest, most delicious & nutritious meals, and having a chef on staff has infused our team with fresh vision for the future of School Nutrition.

National School Breakfast Week

It's National School Breakfast Week, a celebration of schools that participate in the National School Breakfast Program, and an opportunity for schools across the country to promote the benefits of a healthy school breakfast.   

We all grew up hearing that familiar phrase, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  It seems that our grandparents and parents drilled it into our brains... and in fact, studies show that 93% of Americans would concur that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Starting the day with a nutritious breakfast puts fuel in the tank, jump starts your metabolism and gives the brain the energy it needs to do the important work of the day.  And yet, only 44% of Americans report starting their day with breakfast on a regular basis.   With that ground work already in place, with more than half of all Americans routinely skipping breakfast,  our challenge with School Breakfast is to teach our youth a better way.  We want to make a healthy breakfast an absolute "must do" part of the day.  Setting aside a week to celebrate the National School Breakfast program gives us an opportunity to get the word out.  All across the country this week, School Nutrition Directors and nutrition advocates are getting the message out: on television talk shows, social media, articles in the news.  The story is this:  School Breakfast Changes Lives!

Here are some fast facts about School Breakfast: 

1. Students who eat breakfast have better attention and memory.
2. Students who eat school breakfast attend, on average, 1.5 more days of school per year and   score 17.5% higher on standardized math tests.
3. The School Breakfast Program significantly improves the cognitive abilities and learning capacities of children.
4. Students who participate in school breakfast show improved attendance, behavior, standardized achievement test scores, and decreased tardiness. 

These are just a few of the benefits of School Breakfast, and yet,  statistics show that only 1/2 of the students that are eligible to eat breakfast at school for free or at very low cost do so on a regular basis.    The data is the same in my own district, where, even though we have had a 95% increase in breakfast participation over the past 5 years, we are still only serving breakfast to approximately 50% of our students who qualify for free and reduced price meals, and just 30% of our students overall.  We have seen growth, thank goodness!  But what about the students that are still not accessing breakfast at school?  Are they eating breakfast at home?  Did they have time? Was there adequate food in the home to ensure that the breakfast was well balanced?

In our district, we have experienced many school breakfast successes over the past 5 years, leading to our 95% increase in breakfast participation (admittedly, our participation prior was so low that we were at risk of canceling our school breakfast program altogether).  However, we have also experiences our fair share of challenges.  

Successes have come slowly and gradually.  Changing and improving the menu, gaining the trust of parents and caregivers ("if I send my child to school without breakfast, will they really have an opportunity to eat?"), hosting fun, themed events to encourage our customers to attend (such as our monthly Fun Friday Breakfasts), keeping on trend with menu options.  It has taken 5 years and a team of incredibly dedicated staff who will make 800 "Olaf" String Cheese Snowman when asked. 

At our middle schools, the school nutrition staff have altered their morning schedules and routines, in order meet the needs of their teenage customers.  At this grade level, we offer grab & go breakfast carts in the hallways, and First Class Room Service Breakfast Carts, during the first period homeroom time.   Encouraging teens to eat breakfast is always a challenge, and it requires a menu that is "on trend" and timing that suits their appetites.  It's essential that teaching staff be "on board", and that they understand the long term benefits of school breakfast.

Middle School Breakfast Cart
in 

 
Flexibility is key: flexibility of all the stakeholders.  Custodial staff, transportation staff, school nutrition staff, teachers, administration - all must be willing to collaborate.  The end result is well fed students who are ready to learn and succeed in school.  If students are hungry, their focus will be on their stomachs, they won't feel well, won't be able to concentrate.  
 

Challenges remain lurking around every corner, making it necessary to always be flexible, always willing to change course, change directions.  A change in administration can change scheduling, which in turn can adversely affect breakfast service.  Teaching staff & administration are always looking to fill every minute with necessary instructional time. Collaboration is key.  Changes in regulations send us back to the kitchen for recipe development and product procurement.  Labor and budgetary cut backs can also adversely impact a school breakfast program.  

Creativity, collaboration, flexibility and willingness to change - these are the steps we will continue to take until we are reaching all the hungry children, ensuring that they start their mornings well fed and ready to learn.  We've come a long way... we have a long way to go.  50% of our students who are experiencing food insecurity are not eating breakfast at school.  We need to reach them, we need to feed them.   They are our future.  We are feeding the future. 

Breakfast wisdom from A. A. Milne

A Recipe for Success

USDA Poster for Healthy School Meals

In preparation for an upcoming trip to Washington DC, I've been thinking about reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, and the wild ride that ensued after we embarked with the changes set forth by the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010.

I'm often asked about why following these guidelines has been successful in our district, while other districts have struggled. I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I do have some thoughts regarding our "formula" for success. I have boiled down my thoughts into what I call the 5 C's:

1. Culture: It is really necessary to pay attention to the culture of the area, the culture of your schools, current market trends & market demographics.   What I mean by this is... know your market.  For some districts in the south, finding whole grain grits was a major issue.  Our northern students wouldn't know what to do if we served them grits, not being familiar with that particular food item.  We faced other challenges, including procurement: finding acceptable whole grain tortillas for wraps, consistent availability of all whole grain items from our distributers, etc.    But, paying attention to the culture means knowing what the kids in your geographical area like to eat & are used to eating, and finding ways to offer similar fare within your own eating establishment and within the USDA guidelines  By giving your customers what they want AND following the guidelines, you will achieve success.  

2. Collaborate: Collaboration is key to the success - Collaboration with administration, parents, staff and students. Building bridges with families, and gaining support from district administrators fosters a culture that welcomes the positive results that change brings.

Having the necessary support from your district's administrators is essential, but even more important is building bridges and getting "buy in" from the customers - students and parents.  Our district's after school "cooking club" is a wonderful way to foster the relationship between the school nutrition program and families.  Families get to meet school nutrition personnel, taste actual recipes that are being made and served in the cafeteria.  Taste testing and/or cooking in the classroom with students is also a great way to introduce students to new foods, new recipes and menu items.  Allowing the students the opportunity to name the recipe takes this collaboration one step further.

happy students at "cooking club" sampling
healthy banana chocolate chip cookies

3. Creativity: Creativity helps to keep the changes fresh and new, allowing our customers to stay interested & engaged. Adding creative touches to menus, cafeteria environment and by featuring theme menus, market trends and other innovations creates excitement and generates increased meal participation.

In our district, monthly "Fun Friday Breakfasts" have had a positive impact on breakfast participation at our elementary schools.  We have seen a sustained 30% growth in our breakfast average daily participation by hosting a once a month themed breakfast.  Popular themes include sports themes (think: Super Bowl) and "Frozen" theme, featuring "Olaf" string cheese and hot cocoa muffins.  We have even had an "Angry Bird" Fun Friday Breakfast and a "Fruit Ninja" themed breakfast.  Keep it fun - they will keep coming :-)

Wear your "Angry Bird" gear to the
"Angry Bird" Fun Friday Breakfast!

Need ideas to boost your school nutrition program's creativity level?  One good place to start is by following School Meals that Rock on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & of course on Pinterest.  There, you will find inspiration from school breakfast and lunch programs from all around the country. Here are a couple of great links to follow:

https://www.facebook.com/SchoolMealsThatRock/
https://www.pinterest.com/schoolmealsrock/


4. Communication: We have found that communicating has been essential throughout the change process. Communication = Marketing, and through marketing we have kept our customers & their families informed. Marketing can be done on menus, emails, newsletters, websites, and via social media sites. Families want to know how hard we are striving to provide healthy, nutritious meals.

Social media has become a powerful tool for us.   Offering  photographic documentation of our menu items and events lends credibility.  Growing fresh produce in your school garden?  Post a photo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and/or Snapchat.  Are students excited about school meals? Post a photo (make sure you have the proper release, of course) of happy students enjoying their school meals. Families want to know & trust that their kids are being fed delicious, healthy meals.

5. Constantly Changing: We are constantly changing and always adapting - as we tweak recipes, adjust menus, re-organizing work strategies and procure new product. It is a lot of work, but extremely rewarding - when you receive a simple ‪#‎Valentine‬ from a student or a note from a parent thanking you for introducing a child to many new foods... it makes all of the work absolutely worth it.

Do you like my hat?

an illustration  from "Go Dog Go"

My 2 year old granddaughter is obsessed with the children's book, "Go Dog Go".   Throughout the book, two dogs regularly meet up and ask each other "Do you like my hat?".  In the book, the answer to that question is consistently "No", until the very end of the book when one of the dogs is wearing an elaborate party hat with many objects being balanced from the hat.  Finally, the answer is in the affirmative.  "Yes, I do like your hat!   

Reading this book, over and over and over, as one tends to do with 2 year olds got me thinking about hats...

Being a School Nutrition Director is a little like the dog at the end of the book.  She is balancing so many items on her fancy party hat, that it is a wonder that she doesn't fall off of the precarious ladder that she is climbing on.   I often feel that way... balancing all that I do is a little like climbing up a wobbly ladder, trying to keep everything in balance at the same time.  

Private Eye at your Service

Recently, I returned from being out of the district at a state conference for 2 days. As soon as I got back, my staff had me digging and researching some recent Point of Sale transactions to see if I could find out where an error had occurred.  So, I donned my "Sherlock Holmes" hat, and scrutinized the "books" for the morning as I tried to decipher where the errors were.    

At the time, we joked a little about how many different hats a school nutrition director must wear.   Private eye was the top of the list.  But as I worked at solving the financial mysteries that had occurred in my absence , accountant also topped the list.  The accountant hat is never far away, as we always seem to be crunching numbers... not only participation numbers, but also the numbers of our financial picture. Are students paying?  How much is our federal reimbursement this year? If we order milk from this company vs. that milk company, 

can we save a cent or two per carton? One cent really adds up when you are purchasing hundreds of thousands cartons of milk each year.  What price should we charge for student meals this year, and how does the Paid Lunch Equity tool fit in?  Indeed, our accountant hat (and our pencils) are never set aside for very long.  It seems to be the most important balancing act of all....  making sure that we are managing our expenses, all the while ensuring that we are attracting new customers and encouraging our paying customers to pay their balances due.   Keeping all the finances balanced can be exhausting and overwhelming.

Speaking of overwhelming...  working in school nutrition can sometimes be as overwhelming as it is rewarding.  Managing  inventory, staff, meal counts, the changing guidelines & regulations is enough at times to drive you ( and your employees) crazy!  Which is why at times, a school nutrition director needs to don a "therapist's hat".  

School nutrition employees are nurturers.  We love to make sure that the needs of children are being met, and feeding them healthy food is how we strive to do that.  But being a nurturer can sometimes lead to exhaustion.   Add to the equation the stresses from home... and a school nutrition director often finds that they are  offering support to staff as they sort out problems and issues that extend well beyond the school cafeteria. 

And we can't forget some of the most obvious hats that we wear.  The chef hat is one that we must frequently wear, in order to make sure that our meals look and taste good.

Our district is very fortunate to have a full time chef on staff, and she travels throughout the district, from kitchen to kitchen, not only tasting and testing our recipes, but training our staff to do the same: making sure that our menus look and taste appealing every single day.

Of course, balancing the nutrition guidelines is extremely essential, and so a dietitian's "hat" (hairnet?) is a necessity! With the crazy pace that the federal school nutrition guidelines have been changing, it seems that we are always manipulating the sudoku puzzle of red/orange vegetables, leafy greens, legumes, whole grains & grain equivalents, meat/meat alternate, calories, fat, protein, calcium... on and on it goes.  

Marketing is another absolutely important "hat".  Marketing can prove very challenging for school nutrition directors, especially when they are already juggling so many other hats!  But without 

marketing, our message and our product may get lost in the busy-ness of everyday life.  Getting our message heard, sharing the news about all that is wonderful, delicious and exciting about school meals is key to maintaining and growing participation in our program.  Marketing school meals can take on many forms, from the "old school" printed menus that are sent home, to blast emails home and websites. Others are using messages on digital screens and marketing via social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other sites in the constantly changing world of social media and the world wide web. Blogging and vlogging (video blogging) are also creative marketing ideas to consider.   

Wearing so many different hats can be exhausting, but it is also extremely rewarding and exciting.  It is certainly never boring!  And so, I will end this where I started it... back to "Go Dog, Go".  Do I like my hat?  I do!  What a hat! I do like my hat!!!

an illustration from "Go Dog, Go"