K-12 School Foodservice Solutions
Looking for answers to school foodservice challenges?
From budget shortfalls to labor challenges to federal, state, and local nutrition standards, driving successful school meals might be one of the most challenging jobs in all of foodservice.
At the same time, our dedicated K-12 professionals, whether they’re in the district office or behind the lines in a school cafeteria, are some of the most dedicated individuals we know. Middleby and our family of brands are proud to work closely with many of our nation’s schools to help deliver high-quality, nutritious meals to students. Our goals are to increase efficiency, help reduce the stresses on staff, increase student participation in lunch programs, and, of course, deliver tasty food that helps nourish students and prepare them for learning.
This page is designed to empower K-12 foodservice professionals in their quest to serve healthy, nutritious meals to students day in and day out. Thank you for all you do.
Children go to school to learn, but that’s impossible if they aren’t well-fed. Nourishment is the top goal of any school nutrition program, and when done successfully, our nation’s students have the fuel they need for long days of learning. School nutrition directors have to navigate often uncertain regulations that can come from federal laws, state and even local governments.
Nourishment isn’t the only goal, though. If meals aren’t tasty students will opt out of buying meals at school, instead bringing sack lunches or eating off campus. Creating delicious meals in school cafeterias involves many factors, from great ingredients to diverse menus. Today’s students are often the pickiest eaters, making this goal even harder to achieve.
Though the goals of a successful school nutrition program are to provide nourishment through tasty menu items, these can only be achieved through the lens of health and safety. As we’ve seen over the past few years, creating safe eating environments is an important step. When schools take measures to purify the air, for example, it can reassure parents that all safety aspects are being considered. Food safety is also essential, of course, and school cafeteria staff should consider best practices and equipment to ensure foods are safely stored, handled, and prepared to reduce any potential risks.
As if school nutrition directors didn’t have enough to think about, we’re currently in the midst of a significant labor crisis. Of course, this isn’t a new challenge in school foodservice, as increasing wages in other aspects of the foodservice industry have made it difficult for directors to find, hire, and retain reliable staff. There are ways foodservice equipment and supplies can help. From automation to intuitive controls, technology can provide today’s school foodservice operators with a much-needed advantage when tackling today’s labor shortages.
