Piece of Cake! Meg Chesley President A Higher Level CSNA 2014 Annual Conference November 15, 2014 Sacramento, CA

Our Challenge Plan a meal that… Meets all current requirements Cost effective to produce Is acceptable to students

How well are we doing?

USDA Reports… Since new federal nutrition standards began rolling out in 2012, fewer students are buying school lunches, even though enrollment is going up M meals/day M meals/day Largest decrease is in paid meals category. Source: fns.usda.gov

What is most important to you? Eliminate childhood obesity? Get everyone to eat healthy? Change eating habits of children? Get parents (adults) off my back? Get my students to eat a healthy meal at school?

Who is your customer? Students! Politicians? USDA? Teachers? Nurses? Parents?

Life Lessons

Life Lesson #1 If you want kids to eat, give them food they like.

Life Lesson #1 What do kids like?

Top Foods Kids Like Pizza Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers Chicken Sandwich Hot Dog Tacos Burritos Spaghetti Chicken Nuggets Turkey Sandwich Chicken Salad Mac & Cheese Teriyaki/Orange Chicken Chips/French Fries Sweets

Life Lesson #2 The food must taste good.

What tastes good?

Life Lesson #2 What tastes good? Broccoli or chips? Kale or brownies? What does NOT taste good? 4 out of 10 shoppers believe that healthy foods do not taste good. The numbers are worse for fast food aficionados. Compared to young children, adults are more tolerant of bitter and sour flavors

Life Lesson #3 Variety, variety, variety

Can you offer this menu? Pizza Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers Chicken Sandwich Hot Dog Tacos Burritos Spaghetti Chicken Nuggets Turkey Sandwich Chicken Salad Mac & Cheese Teriyaki/Orange Chicken Chips/French Fries Sweets Will kids like it? Can it taste good? Will it offer variety? Is it healthy? If you offer this, will they come to eat it?

Putting It Into Practice Theory is splendid but until put into practice, it is valueless. -James Cash Penney

Life Lesson #4 Stop telling them “It’s good for you!”

Life Lesson #4 Just a few things that are “good for you”… Butter Mayonnaise Coffee Moderate drinking Vitamins Exercise Sleep Laughing Meditation Being scared Failure Relax!

I wanted to change the world… When I was young, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as I got older, I tried to change my family. Now, as I am old, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world. -Unknown Monk 1100 A.D.

"Even miracles take a little time.” ~ Fairy Godmother to Cinderella