Introducing a salad bar in your school’s cafeteria is essential for students’ health and well-being. As a school foodservice professional, you have the unique opportunity to promote nutritious eating habits that can last a lifetime. However, a salad bar requires careful planning and creativity to be successful; students have higher expectations than status quo ingredients and limp lettuce. We have 5 fundamental tips to ensure your salad bar is a hit among students.
1. Offer Fresh and Local Ingredients
Bob Gorman, Executive Director of School Nutrition at Cleveland Metropolitan School District, has a secret to making his salad bar ingredients look their best.
“When the fruits and veggies are on [the Cambro salad bar], they look amazing. I’ve only bought black [food pans]; the black looks 100 times better. I think the black contrast with the fruit and vegetables just makes the fruit and veggies pop,” said Gorman.
2. Maintain High Standards of Food Safety
Food safety is important to consider when offering a salad bar. Ingredients need to be kept at the right temperature and younger students may be tempted to use their hands to dig into all of the colorful options like they do at home. Cambro’s Versa Food Bar® keeps ingredients safely chilled for at least 4 hours. To extend cold holding time, insert a pre-chilled Camchiller® underneath food pans. To keep sticky hands at bay, provide an ample number of tongs to encourage students to hygienically select ingredients.
3. Hold Taste Tests
Jenny Reed, a school nutrition service member with FoodCorps, worked with Bridgeton Public Schools in Bridgeton, New Jersey, to help educate the students about nutrition and new foods they might not have tried yet.
“I made ‘Butternut Squash Smiles,’ which is butternut squash with honey and I put little raisin eyes. I had first come up with the idea for preschool kids, which I did do it with them, but I also gave it to the high schoolers and I was surprised at how many tried it and how many liked it; I thought maybe it would be a little too young for them but they actually really enjoyed it as well,” said Reed.
4. Educate Students About Ingredients
Engaged and informed students are more likely to use the salad bar regularly. When they know about the nutritional benefits of different fruits and vegetables, they may be more encouraged to try new things. If you’re able to partner with local farmers, use it as an opportunity to teach students about where their food comes from, which foods are grown in each season and the benefits of eating local produce.
5. Promote the Salad Bar Effectively
It’s all in the marketing! The same thing every week gets boring, but everyone loves a theme—especially in schools. Feature different “Salad Bar of the Week” themes to keep things interesting; “Mediterranean Medley” could include tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives and feta and “Tropical Paradise,” could include pineapple, mango, strawberries and coconut.
Use posters, announcements and social media to create excitement and awareness and monitor feedback to each offering. Use this information to adjust the menu to ensure it remains appealing and cost-effective. Be willing to experiment with new ideas to keep the salad bar dynamic and engaging.
Contact your local Cambro sales rep today to get started on implementing salad bars in your schools.
AUTHOR: ADRIANA DESIDERIO IS THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT CAMBRO.
