1. Plate Waste Presentation Janet Mitchell, SNS Director, Culinary Services Department Glynn County Schools

2. Glynn County is nestled on the Georgia coast, midway between Savannah, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida. Where are we located?

3. ● Glynn County has a growing population of nearly 80,000 people. ● Glynn County is the center of Georgia’s shrimping industry. Glynn County Stats ● The island’s beaches, resorts, shops, golf courses and historic sites attract visitors from around the world.

4. Referred to as “The Golden Isles” because of the beautiful golden color of the marshes in the fall. Glynn County is made up of the historic mainland port city of Brunswick… The Golden Isles

5. and four beautiful barrier islands….. St. Simons Island

6. Sea Island

7. Little St. Simons Island

8. ….and Jekyll Island

9. Glynn County Schools Our school system is made up of - 10 Elementary Schools - 4 Middle Schools - 2 High Schools - Plus 6 additional centers Golden Isles Career Academy Jackson Learning Center Coastal Education High School FACES Prekindergarten Center Leaps and Bounds, & Morningstar Academy

10. School Nutrition Program  Our 150 Food Service employees serve over 6,000 breakfasts, 10,000 lunches and 2,000 snacks on a daily basis.  Just over 63% of the students receive free or reduced priced meals.

11. How do we Reduce Plate Waste?

12. Why Do Children Throw Away Food? Not Hungry  Schedule issues?  Snacks in class before lunch?  FF & V program serving times?  Talk to Teachers, they can give valuable insight.  Ask for input on schedules.  Work with your wellness committee.

13. Why Do Children Throw Away Food? Unfamiliar With Foods  Some foods look the same as others but taste different, i.e., sweet potato fries.  Lack of exposure to certain foods at home.  Peer Pressure  Prepare a fun ‘taste test’ for classes in the cafeteria.  Have an employee serve samples during lunch time so everyone can taste something new on the menu.  Serve kid friendly foods!  Identify menu items with sneeze guard clings.  FF & V Program

14. Always…Always…Apply For Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program  A federally assisted program providing free fresh fruits and vegetables.  An economical way to expose children to a wide variety of produce that they may otherwise not have the opportunity to sample.  Provides healthier snack choices for students by expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience.  Increases children’s fruit and vegetable consumption as well as acceptance when served in the cafeteria.

15. Why Do Children Throw Away Food? Appearance & Quality  Food looks overcooked or undercooked.  Food is not presented well.  Food has been held too long in warmers.  Produce doesn’t look fresh.  Frequent training to standardize quality.  Prepare fruits and vegetables to make them appetizing.  Employees should know how to prepare, cook and hold every menu item.

16. Work to Improve Quality No pre-making sub sandwiches! Instead of making subs, wrapping them and putting them in the cooler, pre- portion meats and cheeses in the cooler and keep the bread fresh. Use fresh bread and add the meat when the customer order. Less waste and no soggy bread!

19. Care enough to batch cook. Care enough to offer choices. Care enough to train. Care enough to buy quality food.

20. Market Every Part of Your Program!!  It’s our mission to serve every one of our customers with a smile.  Advertise lunch items on your website, morning announcements, and television commercials that run on monitors where available.  Focus on providing the menu items that your kids have shown preference for, while also allowing for a great variety of food items on your menus.  Make Middle and High School dining rooms a place of interest by offering excellent choices on every line.

25. What we have learned…  Training Is Critical – Allow time and money in your budget for training. Transition 6 and 7 hours employees to 5 hours per day. Training must be your #1 focus.  Spend the Time to Test Products- It is your job to buy quality products. Work hard to make this happen. Teach employees how to prepare and take care of the products.  Borrow Ideas- work with a neighboring district who has more resources.

26. Keep Georgia on Your Mind………..