Food for thought on what’s trending in school meal programs across the country
Schools across the nation are finding innovative ways to reach more students in their respective communities. . . .Instead of having drive-up lines at the schools, William Floyd School District and its food service partner, Aramark, relied on school transportation to deliver meals directly to the students’ families. Using 42 school buses running their regular routes, the school was able to deliver boxes, making it convenient for the families.
We are pleased to announce that we now have 7-Day Meal Kits so that you can provide a week’s worth of meals to each student! Each case contains 14 shelf-stable meals – that’s 7 Breakfast BREAKS and 7 Meal BREAKS. This allows school districts to distribute meals to cover holiday breaks.
We were pleased that there was so much interest in our Afterschool Meals CACFP (Children and Adult Care Food Programs) Webinar held last week. Food service directors from across the country tuned in to hear tips on how to implement a successful Afterschool Meal program. I especially want to thank our featured speakers: Alexandra Molina, M.S., Director, McAllen ISD in Texas, and Sandra Kemp, Executive Director of Food and Nutrition at Albuquerque Public Schools in New Mexico.
It’s been said that the worst of times can bring out the best in people, and I’m sure you’ll agree that the school foodservice community has risen to the occasion by finding creative and innovative ways to feed children during this pandemic. Every day we are reading about ways school districts have gone above and beyond to get meals to kids, even when they are at home for remote learning. At E S Foods, we have been fortunate to do our small part in this effort by providing shelf-stable, grab & go meals
Now more than ever there is a critical need to provide afterschool suppers to children. With the pandemic resulting in remote learning or reduced in-person instruction, many kids aren’t accessing their regular free school meals. Add to that the other restrictions stemming from the pandemic, such as families not being able to work and pay bills, the Afterschool Meal Program can be a much-needed respite for families. Did you know that by adding suppers/super snacks to your program you can help countless families and increase your reimbursement dollars by as much as 58%?
To recognize the National School Lunch Program, serving nearly 30 million children each day, schools across the country will celebrate National School Lunch Week from October 12-16, 2020. The theme, “Now Playing: School Lunch!” puts the spotlight on the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life