Episode 32 – Chefs Who are Creatively Transforming School Nutrition

Description
In the U.S., nearly one in five children are living with obesity, and over a quarter of adolescents aged twelve to nineteen are prediabetic. Shockingly, only two percent of children meet the daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables and over thirteen million children live in food insecure households. This means that school meals are often the most reliable and nutritious food they get each day. In this episode, we hear from three innovative chefs working in school nutrition who are transforming the school cafeteria. They share what goes into creating delicious and nutritious school lunch programs that set children up for success, even under tight budgets and strict guidelines. This is a must listen if you’re in school nutrition or are curious about school lunch programs.      

In this episode you’ll hear:

1:20 – Why are school food programs so important?

3:30 – Chef Rebecca Polson’s story

4:20 – Chef Jason Hull’s story

6:15 – Chef Taylor Thompson’s story

8:30 – What criteria are used to create school lunch recipes?

12:10 – What is the National School Lunch Program in America?

16:00 –  Scratch cooking, speed scratch cooking and heat & serve

21:35 – What are the chefs’ biggest challenges?

22:40 – Where do schools source their food?

30:30 – School food policy

31:45 – K-12 recipe development with Pacific Coast Producers

34:10 – Surprise favorite recipes for the kids

36:30 – Food tips for busy families

Thank you to our sponsor:

Resources:

• Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Kids Collaborative
• National School Lunch Program
• https://pacificcoastproducers.com/resources/k12-foodservice/

Credits:
Host – Dr. Sabrina Falquier, MD, CCMS, DipABLM
Sound and Editing – Will Crann
Executive Producer – Esther Garfin

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