Reducing Food Waste with Student Choice
In the US an astonishing 30-40% of food produced goes to waste each year. While this issue is present in all areas of the food chain, from overproduction to household waste, one area that hits close to home is the waste occurring in schools where an estimated 530,000 tons is disposed of nationwide.
As today is National Stop Food Waste Day, we wanted to take a moment to share with you the ways we work to minimize food waste, and how you can help!
One way the USDA promotes a reduction in food waste is through “Offer vs. Serve”. This method empowers students to choose foods they want to eat while reducing unnecessary disposal. With Offer vs. Serve schools are required to offer five food components, but students only have to take three of the components offered, with one being at least half a cup of fruit and/or vegetable. To help students easily meet this requirement, we offer a variety of fresh and prepared fruits and veggies every day to appeal to all kinds of tastes and preferences. While we love to encourage students to try new foods, it’s important for us to value each student’s individual preferences and ensure students only take what they want to eat, rather than urge them to take foods destined for the trash.
Remember having to take milk every day with your lunch in school? Offer vs. Serve gives students the choice to skip milk if they’re not going to drink it. With an estimated 45 million tons of milk wasted in American schools each year, Offer vs. Serve empowers students to have autonomy with regards to their drink. Water cups are available upon request at all of our schools, and drinking fountains are located in or near each cafeteria as an alternative for those kiddos who do not enjoy milk with their meals.
By fostering an environment that values student choice, we can instill lifelong habits of mindful consumption for our students. We recommend talking with your children about the important vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables, and look at our menus together to help them make healthful choices in the line.
