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Solutions to Reduce Food Waste in Schools

Solutions to Reduce Food Waste in Schools

While food waste may seem inevitable, there are numerous ways to combat it that benefit the quality of meals, reduce food costs, and positively impact the environment and community.

Solutions to Reduce Food Waste in Schools

  • Production records: These kitchen records can be used to identify opportunities for menu and production modifications.
    • Identify trends to make menu changes.
    • Review production records regularly and adjust the meals planned and prepared according to daily school attendance.
    • Consider why students are not eating certain foods and explore alternative preparation methods that may increase student acceptability (e.g., apple slices instead of whole apples, refried black beans instead of cold black beans).
  • Offer versus serve (OVS):
    • If the current service model is straight serve, consider switching to OVS (please note that this change requires an amendment in the Coordinated Application in NexSys).
    • Correctly implement OVS by re-training staff, monitoring meal service frequently, and setting up service lines so students are allowed to select individual components (i.e., don’t bundle components or pre-plate meals in advance).
  • Use share tables: Share tables are a great way to reduce post-consumer waste. Review the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) Share Tables Administrative Memo for guidelines and application of the food code.
  • Smart procurement: Use the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Buying Guide to help order correct quantities.
  • Improve food quality:
    • Plan separate menus for different grade levels so portion sizes are appropriate. Consider fewer options for elementary students to choose from to avoid overwhelming students.
    • Provide options so students only take what they plan to eat.
    • Batch cooking, also known as “cooking to the line” or “just-in-time preparation,” can preserve food quality and decrease leftovers.
    • Collect students’ feedback through taste-testing events, surveys, and suggestion boxes.
  • Staff training: Train staff on how to reduce food waste by educating them on how to analyze food production records, make educated estimates in planning and procurement, use proper knife skills, and batch cook.
  • Farm-to-program: Serving a variety of foods, including fresh and locally sourced fruits and vegetables, can enhance meal quality and acceptability. Maximize your programs and bottom line with the 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms grant.
  • Conduct a food waste audit: Collect data on the amount and types of food discarded by students to identify opportunities for menu planning and operational changes.
  • Breakfast in the classroom: Consider alternate breakfast service models. Research shows that food waste decreased from 43% to 38.5% with the implementation of breakfast in the classroom.
  • Reschedule lunch: Educate your administration on how reducing food waste is possible through adjustments to lunch meal periods.
    • Scheduling recess before lunch can reduce waste by as much as 30%.
    • Extending lunch periods from 20 to 30 minutes has been shown to reduce plate waste by nearly one-third.
  • Nutrition Education: Conducting nutrition education activities in the classroom and/or food service area can help student acceptance of foods. Educate students about the environmental impact of food waste and empower them to become food waste warriors.
  • Composting: Consider ways to use post-consumer waste. Could you start a school composting program? Or contract with a local compost facility?
  • Donate leftovers: Per USDA SP11 CACFP05 SFSP07-2012, schools child nutrition program sponsors should aim to limit food waste and explore all alternative before discarding food (e.g., share tables, etc.) but can donate uneaten food to eligible food banks or charitable 501(c)(3) organizations (26 USC 501(c)(3)). Schools that wish to donate food to local humanitarian organizations have protections under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. It is important to note that donating food to feed livestock is not covered under the federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act. Additionally, there are federal laws that govern the feeding of leftovers and food scraps to animals.

For more information, check out the following resources and references:

Michigan Resources

 

USDA Resources

 

Additional Resources

 

 

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