Every year we are inundated with “hot” food trends. But true food trends are long lasting and impactful. By the early 1980s, the hot food trend was extra virgin olive oil. Today, thanks to Rachael Ray, say the acronym EVOO and just about every foodie worth their sea salt knows what you mean. EVOO is pretty much the default oil. EVOO is the classic example of a true food … [Read more...]
K-12 Breakfast on the Go: A Case Study with Carter County Schools
Feeding children is the mission for all food service directors. Having a plan to reach as many children as possible is a strategy that involves creativity and change. In 2016, I began working with Sheila Bradshaw, food service director for Carter County Schools in Kentucky. Sheila wanted to improve the visual appearance and functional merchandising within the … [Read more...]
Four Tips for a “Food Safe” Football Party
According to the USDA, an estimated 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses each year. Over 100 million television viewers will consume approximately 1.3 billion chicken wings during game day parties. With an average NFL game taking more than three hours to play, Americans will be mixing plenty of football watching with food during the big game. No one … [Read more...]
Satisfying Students: Q&A with Cafeteria Manager Berna Meyer
Berna Meyer does not want to be in the spotlight. She's much more comfortable in the kitchen at Batesville Middle School in Indiana, where she's worked for 17 years. But that didn't stop students from giving Berna and her staff a standing ovation during a school assembly, recently. The students watched a video about their dedication to providing students satisfying lunch … [Read more...]
Improving Patient Satisfaction through Food Service
For healthcare food service operators, like any food establishment, the challenge is getting people to choose them over other options. What I have seen is that in most hospitals, there are two goals for the cafeterias. First, many hospitals are ranked, or graded, and possibly funded based on patient satisfaction. In many cases that satisfaction is tied to the food. An … [Read more...]