On Friday April 11th I visited Gail Oliveira, RD, LDN, SNS, school nutrition director of Swansea Public Schools to observe their school nutrition program as part of the lab experience for my Framingham State University Foodservice Systems class. Swansea Public Schools is an account of Chartwells.
During my visit Gail expressed the simplicity of menu planning with the menu development program Webtrition2, which is approved by the USDA to meet the school nutrition guidelines. The efficiency of the program allows Gail more creative freedom as she able to easily make changes and incorporate new concepts. She often collaborates with the Kitchen Manager, Chef Karen for new and exciting menu ideas such as baked stuffed broccoli and cheese potatoes (shown on the right).
The serving line at the district’s high school was recently updated to accommodate several new serving stations including a very popular deli counter where students can request customized wraps and paninis for lunch. Other popular lunches include fruit and yogurt parfaits, sweet and sour chicken with brown rice and stir-fry veggies, and homemade pizza.
Visit JSI’s Resource Center for recipe and menu ideas! JSI’s workshop Infusing Flavor and Flair into School Meals is being offered at the SNA of Mass Chapter Meetings. In this workshop K-12 culinary trends, food presentation techniques and flavor profiles with student appeal are explored to encourage increased participation. Contact your chapter delegate for locations and dates for this workshop.
