October 9-13, 2023
Building Your Bridge to K-12 Menu Success
Ready to make the cafeteria lunch line at your school the hottest ticket in town? Affinity Group is here to help you prepare for National School Lunch Week with ideas and innovations you need to make your K-12 menu delicious, nutritious and fun. Implementing the following tips & tricks will be a great way to increase participation amongst your students and keep them coming back for more.
Spice it Up
To add variety to your National School Lunch Week menu but also keep costs down, incorporate fresh spices and herbs into commodity products as much as possible. Consider adding lemon, garlic and Italian parsley to commodity chicken strips to create Mediterranean-style chicken and adding coriander, turmeric and cumin to tomato sauce for a tikka masala-inspired sauce.
Introduce New Flavors
Offer a “flavor station” or a test tasting of new menu items and talk to students about the nutritious benefits they get from certain foods. Tell them they get vitamins and minerals from all the colorful fruits and vegetables or explain to them the way whole-grains provide carbs for sustained energy during recess or sports practice.
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Get the Word Out
To help everyone understand the importance of school lunch – Provide professional development to all school staff, including food service staff. You can also promote your school lunch program and National School Lunch Week on your school’s social media pages, school newsletter and PTA/PTO communications to better reach parents and the entire community.
Make a Connection
Invite teachers, administrators or even your school principal to stand in as guest servers for lunch one day. Or you can always have the school mascot stop by your cafeteria at lunchtime to eat with the students.
Celebrate Peace, Love & School Lunch
With this year’s theme being “Peace, Love & School Lunch” deck out your cafeteria with NSLW posters and other artwork portraying nutritious lunch foods. This is a great opportunity to make use of the annual theme in the way you illustrate and depict your lunchtime favorites. If your school is open to it, you can have students create a mural or permanent artwork for year-round display.
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Connect with a Community of K-12 Menu Resources
Coming up with school lunch menu solutions is always easier when you have the perfect partner to help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and insights in the K-12 community. Affinity Group is here for you every step of the way with the foodservice expertise you need to Build Your Bridge to Success.
