Nutrition Ink Magazine | Fall 2019

Jerry’s Farewell Message

JERRY MOORE Chief Operating Officer

F

or the past 50 years I have had the privilege to be part of serving breakfast and lunch to school children. For 40 of those years it has been with TNG. At the beginning of my career with TNG, we served 400 meals per day to General Braddock School District students. We’re currently serving almost 600,000 meals per day, and 250 school districts across 6 states. Now that TNG has grown into an industry leader, I am ready to relax and enjoy the many hobbies that I have set aside.

At the end of 2019 I will be retiring.

THANK YOU

40 YEARS! for

I have been blessed to meet so many professionals who are dedicated to teaching and feeding thousands of children. From the kitchen staff to administrators and board members, it’s been a pleasure working with all of you. I’m so proud of the entire TNG family. I’ve had the opportunity to mentor and work with many side-by-side. Teaching and sharing my experience with so many people has been a gift that I will never forget. TNG staff are nothing short of the best individuals I have ever met.

Administrators, you are in good hands, the best ever! TNG will nourish your students for many many more years.

Farewell and best wishes to each of you that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting along the way!

Jerry Moore

Fall 2019

Contents

2 4 8 10 OPEN HOUSES

Starting the school year off right with friendly faces and tasty samples.

AREA ENHANCEMENTS

Spicing up your cafeteria with our fresh, nutritious, and innovative concepts!

LUNCH FOR LIFE A 3-day celebration that proves lunch is best with TNG!

THIS & THAT

Highlighting special happenings in our cafeterias.

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WELCOME, VIRGINIA! Building new partnerships one state at a time.

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TNG GETS SOCIAL We invite you to follow and preview what’s going on in your cafeterias.

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FARM TO FORK Teaming up with local farms to provide you with a bountiful harvest.

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FSD RECOGNITION Dedicated Food Service Directors receive honors.

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TNG | OPEN HOUSE

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back to

SC L SCHOOL

ach school year brings exciting new foods, concepts and ideas we can’t wait to share. It’s no wonder that Open House and Back to School nights are events we look forward to each fall.

Open houses give parents an opportunity to sample menu items, visit the cafeteria, and have staff answer their questions.

This is also a fantastic time to educate the community on the usage of Nutrislice, our free digital menu app. With Nutrislice users can view daily menus, allergen information, and upcoming events in their café.

Basically, most students just want to know what meal options will be available throughout the school year. By showcasing programs like our Bistro Boxes and Munchables, students see there are plenty of daily choices. Our Food Service Directors and staff offer samplings of our traditional recipes and discuss our grab and go concepts.

Changing the way parents see

school lunch

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Parents are always surprised and amazed at the quality and variety of options offered, even for the choosiest tastes.

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h c n u L Redesigned ADDING MORE FLAVOR TO YOUR SERVING LINES

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The Fresh Eats Cafeteria creates a fun and inviting dining experience for our elementary students. Bright colors with a playful twist on fresh fruits and veggies pop on coolers, serving lines, and walls. Nutrition education can also be seen on the large wall posters promoting students to eat “Vibrant Veggies” and window clings that help elementary students learn to identify the different food groups.

Human Resources Director Joel Madison assists with installation of Midland SD new hanging banners.

TNG is excited to unveil our “Fresh Eats” concept - 3 new grade-specific levels of cafeteria enhancements that complement the progressive new foods we continue to introduce at our schools.

Elementary students walk through the exciting new serving areas that are a fun twist on nutrition education.

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The middle school ld, enhancements are bo perfect at be up d an , ful color rs. for young teenage

y u boards give dail Grade specific men le requirements rsab menus and Reimbu ts hit the line. before the studen

Middle school students will gather in the Fresh Eats CafĂŠ.

At this level, designs are driven by bold colors and posters with positive messages.

Positive messaging across all Middle School enhancements 6

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When high school students enter the newly enhanced Fresh Eats Bistro, they’re greeted with trendy chalkboard designs, fun typography, whitewood backgrounds and colorful bursts of green.

We hope to drive participation by delivering an atmosphere where students enjoy being along with trendy foods that they are excited to be eating.

Our Fresh Eats design will be rolled out over the next two years, so be on the look-out for it to arrive in your district!

New napkin holders and inse rts match the Fresh Eats designs and promote taking only what you nee

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w? did you kno-house daily made in Our Pizza ishas a soft crust! and

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TNG | LUNCH FOR LIFE

LUNCH time

There’s so much for the youngest members of the district to learn at the beginning of the year. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming for them. TNG’s Lunch for Life program is a free 3-day event to make the lunch period fun and welcome first year full-time students to the cafeteria.

During this 3-day event, we assist our youngest customers through all the steps of participating in school lunch. Each meal is at no cost to the student. We have built fantastic partnerships with our vendors, who donate time and money to the Lunch for Life program.

Along with the cafeteria staff, we welcome children with warm smiles. We help them identify each of the food groups to build a balanced lunch tray filled with a variety of nutritious, delicious choices. Each day, students receive a small prize to acknowledge the great job they’ve done going through the serving line.

Lunch for Life is designed to begin building a relationship with students at an early age that will last throughout their school years. By creating a comfort level early, we promote participation from the beginning.

TO OUR

CHAMPION SPONSORS 8

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@TNG_Susquenita

“Our kiddos enjoyed the smoothies on the last day of Lunch for Life!”

@TNeshannock

FREE school lunch

for first year full time students! @TNG_Sharon Lunch for Life creates moments, full bellies, and smiles! #lunchforlife #tngfeedskids

3 OF FUN! DAYS

making

#MomentsMatter

“Musser Elementary had a wonderful week keeping the @SandyHook promise by saying “hello” and sharing a snack at lunch with friends!”

@HollySmithTNG

“Kindergarten students at Valley Grove Elementary are enjoying Lunch for Life this week!”

Congratulations to our Lucky Tray Winner!

FREE

PRIZES

@TNG_Meyersdale

SERVING

KID

FRIENDLY FAVORITES

“First day of Lunch For Life is in the books and the kids loved it! #lunchforlife #wearetng #tngfeedskids #momentsmatter #trust #bold #NoMess #NoFuss #NoCost”

SAMPLING

NEW FOODS THENUTRITIONGROUP.BIZ

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TNG | THIS AND THAT

Oh

sharing fun finds across our schools!

TOODLES!

Lackawanna Trail Elementary Celebrated Mickey's Birthday in early November. The cafeteria whipped up a delicious menu with "Hot Diggity" corn dogs, "Toodles" noodles, “Donald's” green beans, “Goofy's” mixed up berry cups and “plu-ta-to” chips. It sure was swell!

ARRGH!

Did you say The cafeteria captain and her crew at Mount Pleasant Elementary celebrated National Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19. The little land lubbers were highly amused!

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free?

Nutrislice is a FREE app that has many features including: checking daily menus, filtering for allergens, promoting new programs, and getting the latest cafeteria news!

Be on the lookout for our new Nutrislice cards that give you simple instructions to download.

SAFETY first

TNG is turning its cafeteria into a "cool zone" with Shiver Shock smoothies! Shiver Shock is a 100% juice based frozen beverage available in middle and high schools. These smoothies meet USDA nutritional requirements, qualifying as an 8 oz. serving of fruit. Get ready for delicious flavors like Strawberry Banana and Blue Raspberry in your cafeteria!

Our staff's safety is very important to us! To assure we are HACCP compliant for the new school year, safety posters were delivered to each district.

Our "safety mascot", Safety Cindy demonstrates how to lift properly, use eye protection, avoid slips, falls and burns, ultimately providing a clean and safe area for students and staff.

On Tour

Look out for the smiling faces of our TNG Leadership team: President Nancy Kohl and Managing Director Jessica Anzelone who are traveling to our districts and making #MomentsMatter.

the TAKEAWAY We're rolling out our on-the-go meals branded as "The Takeaway". These grab and go options are packed with protein, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, making eating healthy easy! Choose from our Bistro Boxes, Protein Packs, subs, salads, and wraps, all made fresh daily.

Teachers Our Lady of Mount Carmel Teachers enjoyed delicious, fresh desserts for Teacher Appreciation Day.

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ADDING FAMILY TO OUR

TNG ADDS VIRGINIA TO LIST OF STATES SERVED This school year, TNG is excited to be awarded the food service contracts at Carroll County and Montgomery County Public Schools, both located in southwestern Virginia.

For TNG, new business represents much more than simply gaining accounts. While we’re proud of our steady, organic growth throughout our 40 plus years of business, the residual effect benefits all our clients. The first obvious advantage is that as we serve more students, we purchase food in greater volume. The result is a stronger buying power of quality foods at optimum pricing that we pass along to every district we serve.

The second advantage is more subtle yet still has a farreaching impact that strengthens us as a whole. When our transition and opening teams - comprised of our operational specialists, chefs, food service directors, regional managers and top management - assist with startup in a district that’s new to us, we broaden our experience professionally and personally.

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Since our business model isn’t a “one size fits all” approach, we observe and develop a plan that’s as individual as each of the schools in which we operate. As we build these partnerships and establish new processes and procedures, we find many times that cafeteria staff members have so much to offer us in return. It could be a new variation on a recipe or an alternative process to achieve a specific end.

There are also circumstances when we encounter new challenges that push us to continue to be innovative. Every new experience enriches us and helps us grow. And since school lunch is always changing, being an expert requires a commitment to continually learn.

We are grateful to each of our new clients for the opportunity to serve them. We welcome them to the TNG family and look forward to their future success!

SMILE! - Our first student to be served at Gilbert Linkous Elementary in Montgomery County Virginia.

TNG

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SOCIAL MEDIA | #WEARETNG @TNG_EastPalestine

Most parents are curious about what is being served in their students’ cafeteria. We serve fresh, nutritious, and innovative foods, through our fun and delicious programs.

Let us show you! We invite you to take a look inside for yourself through social media.

Each district has their very own social media account on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. Preview real meals, tasty treats, and social happenings right here. Want to see more? Follow The Nutrition Group on social media for the latest events in your schools. Search @TNG_Corporate.

@BLocalCafe

BUCKEYE LOCAL

“Buckeye Local South had Calvin the Calf visit during lunch today and he told them how important it is to eat their fruits and vegetables everyday .#MomentsMatter”

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@TNG_Salem

SALEM CITY “Lunch for Life! The PB&J Gang.”

@TNG_YoughSD

YOUGH

“Fiesta taco pizza today at the HS! Mmmmmm...”

@NBMS_Principal

NEW BRIGHTON AREA

“Forget @ChickfilA and @PopeyesChicken.

The spicy chicken sandwich at New Brighton MS wins hands down!”

@IroquoisTNG

@TNG_MountCarmel

MOUNT CARMEL AREA “Today’s Recipe of the Month at Mount Carmel Jr/Sr HS! #WeAreTNG #FreshEats”

IROQUOIS “Fresh vegetable choices at Iroquois High School. A great way to get those micronutrients! #TNGFreshFood”

@TNG_WoodlandHillsCafe

@TheNutritionGr1

WOODLAND HILLS

SHARPSVILLE AREA

“Molly the Cow came to visit students of Wilkins Elementary today. She even brought a special treat for everyone, our monthly Tasty Bite, banana smoothies.”

“Forget packing your lunch! Join us at the Blue Devil Cafe for Apple Chicken Salad Bistro Boxes! #WeAreTNG”

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SOCIAL MEDIA | #WEARETNG

@TNGCrestview

@TNG_Windber

WINDBER AREA “Thank You @WindberSchools for an amazing first year. We are forever striving to provide the absolute best in your cafeterias!”

CRESTVIEW LOCAL “Crestview High School Students enjoying Popcorn Chicken Bowls today! #TNGFeedsKids”

@JSASDCafe

JERSEY SHORE “HAPPY NATIONAL CHEESEBURGER DAY!!!

Avis kindergartners enjoyed a special cheeseburger cupcake with their lunch today!!!”

@tng_chefguy @TNG_West Muskingum

WEST MUSKINGUM LOCAL “MTO Burrito Bowls. Every Tuesday at the High School. It’s just like your favorite restaurant, but half the price.”

@TNG_LisbonOhio

@TNGCardinal

LISBON EXEMPTED “New Stations, new look, New Awesomeness!! #WeAreTNG”

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CARDINAL LOCAL “Cardinal High School serving it up hot!”

@TNG_FranklinTowne

@TeamCassidy1

SHALER

FRANKLIN TOWNE “Breakfast for Lunch at FTCHS!!! A student all time favorite!”

@TNG_NewKenArnold

NEW KENZINGTON-ARNOLD “Day 1 of Lunch for Life was a SUCCESS! I love being a part of the reason for the smiles on these kids faces! #L4L #TNGFeedsKids”

@TNG_Frazier

@TNG_Poland

POLAND LOCAL “Frozen Day! On the menu: Stone Troll Meatballs, Olaf’s Carrot Noses and Frozen Jello Cubes! Brrrr.”

@TNGOkaloosa

FRAZIER

“These students were so excited about the cinnamon bites we served today!”

OKALOOSA

“Did you know we cater? Yep, we aren’t just school lunch! We can go from PB&J’s to this spread faster than you can say that’s delicious!”

Follow, like, and share with us!

New to our districts for the 2019-2020 school year is Stok Cold Brew Coffee.

It’s the perfect morning and afternoon beverage for faculty and staff!

@TNG_Pennsbury

PENNSBURY “Today we took lunch outdoors.

The beautiful weather was just what we needed for this field day and our BBQ lunch!”

@TNG_Hempfield

HEMPFIELD AREA “Friday means frozen yogurt floats at Hempfield High School! Your choice of root beer or orange cream.”

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TNG | FARM TO FORK

FARMER friendly xxx

Locally sourced foods delivered straight to your cafeteria!

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CELEBRATING LOCAL PRODUCE & FARMS

Ss

tudents who eat more fresh fruits and vegetables enter the classroom better prepared to learn. It’s important for students to get connected to where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the community and the environment. What’s more, programs that promote locally grown foods boost economic development by supporting local farmers and create learning opportunities for students who are still forming healthy eating habits.

TNG created our Farm to Fork initiative for the schools we serve. While we work with local growers to bring fresh produce to students, Farm to Fork also finds various innovative approaches to encourage students to taste and learn about these farm-fresh foods. Farm to Fork was designed to create a lasting, positive impact on students, families and the world around us.

During the first nine weeks of school, we showcase a seasonal fruit or vegetable on the menu, the serving line and fresh fruit and vegetable bars. We promote the featured food with colorful signage that highlights its nutritional value along with some fun facts. The final week of our Farm to Fork promotion culminates in a bountiful Harvest Feast that coincides with Thanksgiving meals in schools.

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DEDICATED FOOD SERVICE DIRECTORS RECEIVE HONORS

T

he day to day operations of a school cafeteria must be orchestrated by someone with passion, determination, and a full heart. That is where our Food Service Directors (FSDs) come into play. This year several FSDs were recognized by their school districts for going above and beyond serving their communities.

This past June, Cortney Gill-Marsilio, FSD at the Montour SD, was presented a certificate of appreciation at the Montour School Board Meeting for her commitment, dedication and excellence serving the district. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Stone personally thanked Cortney for taking care of the administrative team, faculty and staff, but most importantly the students.

Next, Charleroi FSD Rob Lenhart was honored for his contributions to his district. Last year, Rob revealed in his financial report that his district was making “too much” money. In return, his school board and the Superintendent gave Rob the go-ahead to invest that money back into Charleroi’s cafeteria to help support his thriving program. The district applauded Rob for his dedication to the district, and shared how fortunate they are to have him. “Rob, we are blessed to have you on our team”, said Superintendent Dr. Edward Zelich.

“We are fortunate, and we enjoy working with you and want to celebrate you tonight for all you do for our district and our students.”

The last recipient of school board recognition is FSD Maria Kreider who received a certificate of appreciation from the Palmyra School District this month. On behalf of the Palmyra SD, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Annette Spangelo thanked Maria for “going above and

Superintendent Dr. Stone presented FSD Cortney Gill-Marsilio, Montour School District, with a certificate of appreciation.

beyond her duties...providing staff and students with nutritional, innovative, and appetizing meals”.

Maria’s Regional Manager Jim Morrissey stated that “Maria has been very innovative and goes above and beyond to bring excitement to the students in her schools”. He continued, “She has become a part of the Palmyra community and we are thankful for the fantastic work she does for The Nutrition Group.”

We congratulate all our award winners on a stupendous job and wish them continued success in the future!

FSD Rob Lenhart was celebrated by the Charleroi School Board for his contributions to his district (L to R: Dr. Ed Zelich, Rob Lenhart, Elaina Zitney, Crystal Clark).

Maria Kreider, Palmyra School District FSD, received recognition from Dr. Spangelo this October.

io y Gill-Marsil FSD: Cortne ntour ISTRICT: Mo

SCHOOL D rs TNG: 10 yea YEARS AT gs Chicken Win : H IS D E IT FAVOR

r. Everyone we stand fo t a h w d n a I work ompany, district that e th e “I love this c v lo o n, and family. I als love childre ly u tr I . is like a big e iv ople happy, very support e making pe v in. They are lo ’s a o ls a I . smile with food, it y m it e v ti th a g re in c e h se roug et to that th so when I g ” double win!!

Get to Know the FOOD SERVICE DIRECTORS FSD: Maria

Kreider

SCHOOL D ISTRICT: Palmyra YEARS AT TNG: 4.5 y ears FAVORITE D ISH: Sweet &

Spicy BBQ “Each day Chicken B , we have owl an opport lifelong he unity to pro alth and h mote appiness a communit mong our y. I feel ble stu ssed to ha love good ve this imp dents & food.” act. I also

FSD: Rob Lenhart T: Charleroi SCHOOL DISTRIC years YEARS AT TNG: 4

icken Bowl FAVORITE DISH: Ch

preciated G because I feel ap “I like working at TN the most ve team member. I ha and accepted as a rt to the best of of peers. I do my pa supportive region because I feel I business the most is th e lik I y. ilit ab life and that my nce in some child’s re ffe di a g in ak m may be forward.” keeps me moving