Livin’ On The Livin’ On The Vedge:Vedge:

Raising the Raising the {Salad} Bar{Salad} Bar

Jessica Shelly, MBA, Jessica Shelly, MBA, REHS, RSREHS, RS

Food Service DirectorFood Service DirectorCincinnati Public Cincinnati Public

SchoolsSchools

CPS Food ServiceCPS Food Service• First large school district in the First large school district in the

country to offer lunch in 1898country to offer lunch in 1898

• Over 5.5 million lunches served Over 5.5 million lunches served each school yeareach school year

• Over 3 million breakfast served Over 3 million breakfast served each school year each school year 

• 72% free/reduced percentage72% free/reduced percentage

We serve more meals in one day We serve more meals in one day than any other restaurant chain in than any other restaurant chain in

Cincinnati.Cincinnati.

Recognized as the Recognized as the Leader in Ohio School Leader in Ohio School

Food ServiceFood Service• Ohio Department of Education Ohio Department of Education

2010 Stellar Award Winner for Best 2010 Stellar Award Winner for Best Nutrition PracticesNutrition Practices– Only large urban school district to winOnly large urban school district to win

• Children's Hunger Alliance 2010-Children's Hunger Alliance 2010-2011 School Breakfast of the Year 2011 School Breakfast of the Year AwardAward– Chosen out of 614 school districtsChosen out of 614 school districts

Salad Bars In Salad Bars In Cincinnati PublicCincinnati Public

• April 2010 … zero salad barsApril 2010 … zero salad bars

• April 2011 … 32 salad barsApril 2011 … 32 salad bars– Grants and donations … twenty-sixGrants and donations … twenty-six

• United Fresh Produce/ChiquitaUnited Fresh Produce/Chiquita• Xavier UniversityXavier University• Whole FoodsWhole Foods• American Dairy AssociationAmerican Dairy Association• Molina HealthcareMolina Healthcare

– Renovated unused serving lines … Renovated unused serving lines … fivefive

– Purchased salad bars … onePurchased salad bars … one

SWOTT Analysis for SWOTT Analysis for Salad BarsSalad Bars

StrengthsStrengths• Health benefits for students ... Health benefits for students ...

and staffand staff

• Great positive press for the Great positive press for the districtdistrict–News Stations–Social MediaSocial Media

• Additional reimbursable mealsAdditional reimbursable meals–Make it a chef salad barMake it a chef salad bar• Premeasured amounts make it Premeasured amounts make it easy!easy!

Chef Salad BarChef Salad Bar

WeaknessesWeaknesses• Lunch line set-up challengesLunch line set-up challenges– Part of or after serving line?Part of or after serving line?– Before or after cashier?Before or after cashier?

• Training of food service staffTraining of food service staff

• Teaching students proper salad Teaching students proper salad bar etiquettebar etiquette– VideoVideo– PowerPoint presentationPowerPoint presentation– Whole Foods Traveling Salad BarWhole Foods Traveling Salad Bar

Part of Serving, Before Part of Serving, Before CashierCashier

After Serving, Before After Serving, Before CashierCashier

After Serving, After After Serving, After CashierCashier

Food Service Staff Food Service Staff TrainingTraining

• All staff completes online All staff completes online trainings on presentation, food trainings on presentation, food safety, and HACCPsafety, and HACCP

StaffnetStaffnet

Training of StudentsTraining of Students

• PowerPoint on how to properly PowerPoint on how to properly use the salad baruse the salad bar

• Video of teachers and students Video of teachers and students using the salad barusing the salad bar

• Whole Foods Traveling Salad Whole Foods Traveling Salad BarBar–Learned how to use it before it Learned how to use it before it became permanentbecame permanent

Student Training Student Training PowerPointPowerPoint

Student Training VideoStudent Training Video

Whole Foods Traveling Whole Foods Traveling Salad BarSalad Bar

Whole Foods Partnership Gets Whole Foods Partnership Gets Great Press CoverageGreat Press Coverage

OpportunitiesOpportunities• Convert Old Equipment to Salad BarsConvert Old Equipment to Salad Bars

• Partnerships for Salad Bar DonationsPartnerships for Salad Bar Donations–Xavier UniversityXavier University–United Fresh Produce (Chiquita)United Fresh Produce (Chiquita)

• Grants to Purchase Salad BarsGrants to Purchase Salad Bars–The Great Salad Bar ProjectThe Great Salad Bar Project–Fuel Up to Play 60Fuel Up to Play 60–Molina HealthcareMolina Healthcare

Converted Steam Converted Steam TableTable

Building PartnershipsBuilding Partnerships

It’s Also a Breakfast It’s Also a Breakfast Kiosk!!Kiosk!!

ThreatsThreats• Food safety issuesFood safety issues– Long handled tongsLong handled tongs– Quarter pans with lidsQuarter pans with lids– One side vs. Two sideOne side vs. Two side

• Rising cost of produceRising cost of produce– Rotate the vegetable offerings by seasonRotate the vegetable offerings by season– Incorporate commodity itemsIncorporate commodity items

• Canned cornCanned corn• Dried tart cherriesDried tart cherries

– Think outside the boxThink outside the box• Garbanzo beansGarbanzo beans

Longer Handled TongsLonger Handled Tongs

Quarter Pans vs. Half Quarter Pans vs. Half PansPans

TrendsTrends• Incorporating school gardensIncorporating school gardens– CPS has six school vegetable gardensCPS has six school vegetable gardens– Have to work with your health Have to work with your health

department for approvaldepartment for approval

• Tying in the Fresh Fruit and Tying in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable ProgramVegetable Program– CPS has 27 schools with FFVP in CPS has 27 schools with FFVP in

2011-20122011-2012

• Salad bars are the wave of the Salad bars are the wave of the futurefuture

Growing School Growing School GardensGardens

It’s a Whole Culture It’s a Whole Culture ChangeChange

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

• Recess Before Lunch

• Universal Breakfast

• Summer Feeding Program

Healthy Choices = Healthy Choices = Healthy KidsHealthy Kids

Questions?Questions?

Thank You!Thank You!