W h at ’s fo r
lunch
Volume #07
April 2013 After School Programs Can Greatly Increase Food Service Revenues written by Milt Miller, President at Milton Miller Consulting With more and more students eligible for Free and Reduced Meals, School Free and Reduced percentages are increasing. Schools that are now at least 50% Free and Reduced qualify to add a third reimbursable meal each day for after school programs involving some type of enrichment activity. School cafeterias may now serve dinner and be reimbursed $2.86 per meal for all students participating in the after school programming. Qualifying schools may apply for this program through the CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program). Information on this program may be obtained through state agencies administering the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The CACFP after school meal program allows all students to receive a free reimbursable meal each day they attend the after school program if the program is considered an At-Risk After School Program. For all students to receive this free meal the school must be at least 50% Free and Reduced and provide at least 55 minutes of enrichment activities before and/or after the meal. The program reimburses similar to the NSLP, but allows At-Risk After School Programs (50% or more Free and Reduced) to provide free meals to their participants. Also similar to the NSLP a sponsor is permitted to serve two of the three meals, breakfast, lunch, or dinner and a snack. By serving breakfast and lunch plus a snack through the NSLP a sponsor may also become a CACFP sponsor and add the dinner to an after school program that meets the sponsor qualifications, thus providing three meals to students in need of three meals per day. Meal Patterns required for the CACFP are very similar to the NSLP and a CACFP sponsor may request to follow NSLP patterns if meals are provided by a school cafeteria. A school involved with Title 1 or the 21st Century Grant is a perfect candidate for the CACFP After School Meal Program. Information about this and other CACFP programs can be found on the CACFP web site. The program is on the federal fiscal cycle, meaning it runs from October 1, through September 30 each year. This program is not only a great way to accommodate the needs of students by providing a third meal each day it is also a means to enhance food service revenues. A third reimbursable meal can provide higher sales and increased sustainability to any qualifying cafeteria operation, without significantly increasing labor. If your cafeteria revenues have flattened out or decreased in the last several years this could be a good means of stimulation to produce new revenues and increased sales for your program.
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Inside this Issue: After School Programs Can Greatly Increase Food Service Revenues pg 1 The Six Cents: Business Savvy in the Lunchroom pg 2 From the Chef: Chicken Alfredo with a Twist. pg 3 2014 Budget includes Grant Funding for School Cafeteria Equipment pg 4 Change You Can Taste: School Lunch Program Gets a Makeover pg 4
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THESixCents Maureen Pisanick, RD, LD
President, Chief Nutrition Officer at Pisanick Partners, LLC Pisanick Partners hosts interns from local universities and hospitals to gain field experience in the field of nutrition specific to food service management and consulting business opportunities.
Amy Gannon who was a recent intern with Pisanick Partners shadowed Maureen’s operational strategies and appointments over the past two weeks. From this experience, she wrote a piece from a “new and different” lens regarding how to manage the many roles of menu and business application for food service.
Business Savvy in the Lunchroom Written by Amy Gannon | Intern at Pisanick Partners, LLC
With the new regulations being implemented as a result of the Healthy, Hunger Kids Act of 2010, the spotlight is shining brightly on nutrition in the lunch room. Fruit and vegetable requirements, whole-grain minimums, milk standards, and calorie limits are parts of the new specifications that school lunches must now meet. Although many lunchrooms have already been on the path to providing healthier options, many schools must make significant changes to be compliant.
choice, but it took the price comparison to show potential savings in a simple fruit swap.
In the current atmosphere, it can be all too easy to ignore food costs in favor of building the healthiest options available. As with any hurdle, ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. And again comes the question heard time and time again – doesn’t healthy food cost more?
Be creative with commodity items. That commodity vegetable not looking great? Blend it and add it to soup. The veggie burger a bit of a splurge? Meet the protein requirements and stretch the more expensive items with a bit of commodity cheese.
The average school lunch program spends just about $1 on food for each meal. With pricing this tight, you are almost guaranteed to exceed budget if you ignore food costs. Despite our best intentions to keep nutrition at the forefront, we are doing a disservice to all involved – the schools, students, food service personnel, and ourselves – if we do not address budget.
Re-evaluate standard practices. Another surveyed school participated in the same milk procurement bidding procedure year after year with part of their procurement allowing for price escalation. With their contract, milk prices increased by seven cents over the course of the year. Seven cents may not sound significant, but with the budget for an entire meal already at those seven cents represent a 7% increase.
So what can we do? Look at pricing breakdown. It sounds so simple (and in many ways it is) but it is often looked over. At one school recently surveyed, students were being served canned cherries that cost upwards of $67 for six #10 cans. Compare that other fruits such as pears that may be just over $30 for six #10 cans – just about half the cost and more appealing to the students – and the problem becomes clear. The school had the best of intentions in attempting to diversify the menu and offer a healthy
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Take advantage of increased funding. Completing the sixcent certification document is no picnic, especially when six cents by itself hardly seems like it would be worth the effort. But once savings for even a month are extrapolated, the documentation is more than worth the effort.
Managing a budget along with meeting high student standards and becoming compliant with new nutrition guidelines is no small task for food service directors. But with some creative thinking and budget examinations, savvy food directors can help all involved navigate this dynamic field. Pisanick Partners specializes in menu enhancement and creation to maximize K-12 participation, compliance, and affordability! Please contact maureen@pisanickpartners.com for more information.
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FROM THE CHEF Chicken Alfredo With a Twist
This USDA School recipe is from www.nfsmi.org
Meal Components: Meat-Grains
Main Dishes D-54r 50 Servings
Ingredients
100 Servings
Weight
Measure
4 lb
5 qt 1 ½ cups
Water
Weight
Measure
8 lb
2 gal 2 ¾ qt
6 gal
Rotini pasta, whole-grain, dry
12 gal
Directions Process #2: Same Day Service 1. Heat water to a rolling boil. 2. Slowly add pasta. Stir constantly, until water boils again. Cook about 8 minutes or until al dente; stir occasionally. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Drain well. 3. Pour into steam table pans (12” x 20” x 4”). For 50 servings, use 2 pans. For 100 servings, use 4 pans. Critical Control Point: Hold pasta at 135 °F or higher.
Low-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, condensed
9 lb 6 oz
1 gal ¾ qt (3 No. 3 cans)
18 lb 12 oz
2 gal 1 ½ qt (6 No. 3 cans)
4. Combine soup, half and half, pepper, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and chicken. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Critical Control Point: Heat to 165 °F or higher for at least 15 seconds.
Fat-free half and half
3 qt
1 gal 2 qt
Ground white pepper
2 tsp
1 Tbsp 1 tsp
Garlic powder
1 tsp
2 tsp
Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb 1 oz
1 ½ qt
2 lb 2 oz
3 qt
Frozen, cooked diced chicken, thawed, ½” pieces
6 lb 8 oz
1 gal 1 ¼ qt
13 lb
2 gal 2 ½ qt 5. Combine noodles and sauce immediately before serving. 6. Critical Control Point: Hold for hot service at 135 °F or higher.
Chicken Alfredo With a Twist
7. Portion with 8 fl oz spoodle (1 cup).
The grain ingredients used in this recipe must meet the Food and Nutrition Service whole grain-rich criteria. Meal Components: Meat-Grains
Main Dishes D-54r
Notes
Nutrients Per Serving
Keep noodles and sauce separate until serving time to maintain consistency of sauce. Sauce will thicken upon standing.
Calories 344.92 Protein 29.71 g Carbohydrate 40.85 g Total Fat 8.16 g
Serving
Yield
Volume
1 cup (8 fl oz spoodle) provides 2 oz equivalent meat and 1 oz equivalent grains.
50 Servings: about 26 lb 8 oz
50 Servings: about 3 gallons 2 steam table pans
100 Servings: about 51 lb
100 Servings: about 6 gallons 4 steam table pans
Saturated Fat Cholesterol Vitamin A Vitamin C
3.59 g 68.68 mg 449.55 IU (28.74 RAE) 0.38 mg
Iron Calcium Sodium Dietary Fiber
2.34 mg 173.98 mg 571.55 mg 2.67 g
The grain ingredients used in this recipe must meet the Food and Nutrition Service whole grain-rich criteria.
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President Announces 2014 Budget: Includes Grant Funding for School Cafeteria Equipment On Wednesday, April 10th, 2013, President Obama announced his FY2014 Budget for the federal government which included additional funds supporting nutritional programs. The budget for the Department of Agriculture includes $35 million in grant money for schools to purchase necessary equipment to help meet the new guidelines from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). It also shores up Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) benefits that were set to be cut this November. The next step of the budget process is for Congress to begin debate on the Appropriations Committees before votes in the respective Chambers. Source: www.schoolnutrition.org
Change You Can Taste: School Lunch Program Gets a Makeover Article from blogs.usda.gov Written by Audrey Rowe, Food & Nutrition Service Administrator and Dave Shipman, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator
When you walk around many of the nation’s cafeterias, you will notice that plenty of changes have taken place on school lunch menus. Thanks to new standards and other efforts by the USDA, the lunches for our children have become healthier. The new standards, which were implemented for the 2012-2013 school year, made significant improvements to the National School Lunch Program. Some of the changes include offering only fatfree or low-fat milk options, ensuring that fruits and vegetables are served every day of the week, and increasing the amount of whole grain-rich foods on menus. USDA has a large role in making these healthy menu changes possible. The department’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the National School Lunch Program while the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases the program’s meats, poultry, fruits, and vegetables. In total, USDA purchases about 15 to 20 percent of the products in the School Lunch Program. “We take pride in what we do here at USDA,” said AMS’ Commodity Procurement Branch Chief Duane Williams. “In the past couple of years, we made a concerted effort to purchase healthier products. Our team of experts has helped us do things like reducing the fat and sodium levels in many of our products.” Recently, Patriot High School in Nokesville, Va., held a food tasting. This open house invited all of the students and parents in the Prince William County School District to sample some potential foods that may be on the menu next year. A team of USDA employees got a chance to participate in the event and see children enjoying the healthier options. “It’s great to see these children eating the foods we purchase and trying some new dishes too,” said Williams.
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When looking around the crowded cafeteria, there were examples of change in every dish. Children sampled things like edamame salads, spicy chicken breasts, sweet and sour chicken, and chick pea salads. Many of the foods featured at the event were purchased by USDA, including chicken fajita meat used to make chicken tostadas and the beans and raisins that starred in a sweet rice dish. From the smiles and positive reactions from the taste testers, it’s obvious that the dishes were a hit and that the palettes of schoolaged children have evolved over the years. FNS’ Program Support Branch Chief Laura Walter observed that “schoolchildren are becoming sophisticated eaters.” Walter also mentioned that FNS has “adjusted the foods in the program to meet the changing demands of students.” Another element of change in school meals programs is the increased student involvement in menu planning. “The recipes for the foods featured at the Patriot High School food tasting were developed by employees,” said Serena Suthers, Prince William County Food Service Director. “But during the event, students and their parents were able to provide feedback about the items.” This enables children to participate in the menu selection process and develop an appreciation for finding creative ways to make the menus healthier. Students also now participate in programs like Recipes for Healthy Kids to team up with chefs and others in the community to develop recipes for items on their school’s menu. USDA is excited about the improvements to the National School Lunch Program. Events like the food tasting at Patriot High School are an important step in getting communities excited about the healthier options as well.
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