Chef Ann Foundation

Salad bars in schools are about more than simply offering kids fresh fruits and vegetables daily; innovative salad bars take students on culinary adventures and prove that healthy eating can be an exciting journey of flavors and textures. While keeping it simple is a good start, salad bars offer a great opportunity for school food professionals to be creative and offer a wide variety of recipes in addition to raw fruits and vegetables. Thinking outside the box with your salad bar is an excellent way to inspire students to love fresh, healthy food. Check out our latest blog to discover ten ways to enhance your school salad bar: https://ow.ly/8wbR50SOaPF

This past week has been all about watching America reign supreme in the Olympics, and we couldn't help but get in on the action! Inspired by the awe-inspiring performances, we hosted our very own culinary race to see which scratch-made recipe from https://lnkd.in/eAuSvJ56 would take home the gold based on most views. 🏅 And the results are in... 🥇Gold goes to our mouth-watering Beef Nachos 🥈Silver is snagged by the creamy sensation that is our Ranch Dressing 🥗 🥉And the bronze? That's taken by the tasty favorite, our Apple Cinnamon Sheet Pan Pancakes 🍎🥞 We had a blast seeing which of our recipes could step up to the podium, but now we want to hear from YOU! Which recipe from The Lunch Box gets the gold medal in your eyes? Drop your champion in the comments below! 🎉

Say hello to Randy, the Cafeteria Supervisor at Lodi Unified School District in Lodi, California. He has an impressive 20 years in the restaurant industry and nearly a decade in school cuisine. Randy is a proud culinary school graduate, holding not just one but two degrees and a collection of certificates. Randy is passionate about showcasing his versatile skills, whether whipping up delicious catering creations or curating unforgettable wedding experiences. Be sure to tune in next Friday to learn more about the Healthy School Food Pathway program and the other 2024 fellows. #HealthySchoolFoodPathway #SchoolFoodReform #FellowFriday #SchoolFoodProfessionals #CaliforniaSchoolFoodProfessionals #CaliforniaSchoolFood

“With all of the tools to standardize recipe development for scratch, we can ensure that the same nutritious meal is consistently produced across the district every day," said Jacob Gallogly, Food Service Manager for the West River Education District Townshend, VT. Jacob Gallogly is one of the many Get Schools Cooking program participants who have made major changes in their school food program. Get Schools Cooking is our intensive 3-year assessment and strategic planning program that provides school districts with comprehensive support to transition from a heat and serve to scratch-cook operational model. Applications for our Get Schools Cooking program are open to school districts across the country NOW until September 30th, thanks to generous funding support from Whole Kids, The Rachael Ray Foundation, Waverley Street Foundation, and other donors. For details on the application process, check out our walkthrough video: https://ow.ly/lqYP50SS2Ey

Big news in the school food world! Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Minnesota has a longstanding history of prioritizing healthy, locally sourced school food and was the fourth state in the country to pass Healthy School Meals for All. We look forward to the elevation of healthy school food and scratch cooking as presidential election topics this fall! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e5gjeJtZ

Be a part of our fantastic team of healthy school food advocates! We are thrilled to be searching for a creative and solution-oriented individual to join us as the Program Coordinator of District Support in California. In this role, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate closely with the CA Workforce Programs team to leverage work and knowledge, share resources, track program statistics, and report on workforce development initiatives. If you or someone you know is passionate about this type of work, we'd love for you to apply by Friday, August 9, 2024. For additional details, visit: https://ow.ly/aBEn50SNBZI

As we gear up for the back-to-school season, we are excited to introduce 12 menu templates tailored for each month of the year. 📚 These customizable templates allow you to showcase your daily menu items, personalized messages, and images such as your district logo, social media links, recipe highlights, and fun nutrition facts. Explore the creative possibilities with these templates at https://ow.ly/GnAb50SJcHK and make each month memorable for your students!

🍑 Celebrate National Peach Month with a delightful twist with our Scratch-Made Peach Crisp recipe, shared directly from The Lunch Box. This Peach Crisp promises to be a hit among adults and kids alike, using whole and fresh ingredients! Many of our scratch-made recipes are perfect for re-creating those heartwarming meals at home with your loved ones. Prepare to fill your kitchen with the sweet aroma of peaches and spices. Click the link for the full recipe and explore more fresh, scratch-made meal ideas to enjoy together: https://ow.ly/Gl8650SNH4q

🔔 New Resource 🔔 Our newest page offers resources for school food teams on how to safely integrate animal proteins—eggs, fish and seafood, poultry, pork, beef—into their menus. Tips include: - receiving fresh proteins - checking for quality & freshness - safe food handling - proper thawing methods - cooking & cooling procedures 📷: Honey-Garlic Glazed Salmon on a school food tray with a salad, pear, rice, and a glass of milk. https://lnkd.in/eDD8T2Za

Meet Muhamed Yasin! Muhamed has extensive experience in the hospitality industry since the beginning of his career. He serves as the Culinary Operations Specialist for Napa Valley Unified School District in California. He graduated from the California Culinary Academy, earning an Associate's Degree in Hospitality Management. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Purdue University. Muhamed is looking forward to gaining an understanding of recipe development, procurement, and bidding through our fellowship program. Be sure to tune in next Friday to learn more about the Healthy School Food Pathway program and the other 2024 fellows.