What's New in Rice Archive
Idaho School Achieves "Gold Level" in Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge, Gluten Free Menu
Idaho School is First to Achieve Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge "Gold Level" with Brown Rice on the Menu
USDA's Healthier U.S. School Challenge recognized Gooding Joint School District 231 in Idaho as the first school district to achieve gold level status for successfully improving their menus, and students eating habits using healthy ingredients like whole grain brown rice.
First Lady Michelle Obama actively challenges parents, schools and local communities to improve child nutrition through the Let's Move! campaign. One program central to this effort is USDA's Healthier U.S. School Challenge which recognizes excellence in school menus, nutrition education and physical activity. Foodservice Director Anji Baumann explains how her school achieved its gold level status.
| 1. | What helped you to develop healthier meal offerings? Applying for the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge was a huge motivator, and brown rice was a simple ingredient to help us adjust our recipes to include whole grains. |
| 2. | In the beginning, how receptive were students to menu changes? Students were a little apprehensive in the beginning, as we replaced many of our potato products (French fries and tater tots) with rice dishes to increase nutritional value. Creatively menuing rice dishes increased student's desire to try something new. |
| 3. | How have you creatively incorporated rice on the menu? Rice was easily incorporated in our dishes by menuing more global cuisines. We offer a variety of rice bowls, Mexican meals with Spanish seasoned rice and Asian dishes using fried rice. Students are attracted to the flavors and rice helps deliver the nutrition. |
| 4. | What are student's favorite rice dishes? Spanish seasoned rice developed by one of our kitchen mangers is the all time favorite. We are also considering creating a "build your own rice bowl" station to engage students further in customization. |
| 5. | How do you make it fun for students to enjoy healthy meals? Our district celebrates nutrition every chance we get through nutrition education, contests, and morning announcements in schools. This makes the topics fun for everyone. |
| 6. | What are the main benefits of adding rice and whole grains to your menu? The gratifying feeling of serving healthier meals to our students and staff; this is something our school community is very proud of achieving. Rice dishes allow us to deliver a larger variety of whole grain products which is essential to this effort. |
| 7. | What advice can you share to help others successfully include healthier options on school menus? You don't need to tackle everything overnight. Start simple. Adding brown rice is an easy way to add whole grains to the menu and enhance quality. Get your students excited to try new recipes, promote your program through student activities and testimonials. |
| 8. | What's the most important lesson learned from your experience? The most important lesson is not to get discouraged and give up. In the beginning students were not as excited about the idea of eating healthy! However, we stuck with it and student consumption increased significantly once we promoted these dishes as our own "special recipes". |
| 9. | What excites you about the future of school meals and improving the health of children? Healthy foods are fun! School meals are evolving and are certainly more creative and exciting. The most exciting thing for me is to see student's acceptance of a new healthy menu item like brown rice. |
Addressing "Gluten-Free" on the Menu
Menu offerings that address the special dietary needs of a growing number of Americans have become increasingly important in foodservice. Leading this trend is the rising demand for gluten-free foods, driving many foodservice professionals to creatively develop meals that are allergen-free without sacrificing flavor and authenticity. Whether it's a dietary preference or serious health concern like Celiac Disease, a digestive disorder linked to gluten - the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats, chefs and operators are embracing this challenge and attracting new customers that have previously avoided eating out.
In fact, a study by Columbia University reported that 86% of Celiac patients said the difficulties of dining out had a negative impact on them. Using ingredients like rice which is naturally gluten-free and highly digestible, helps chefs seek solutions to creating gluten-free dishes that are appealing, nutritious and safe.
Try these gluten-free recipes:
| • | Lemon Blueberry Bliss Blueberries complement this light, airy, sweetened rice mixture that includes lemon and whipped cream. |
| • | Arroz con Pollo A classic Spanish dish with rice and chicken that combines onions, peppers, tomatoes and chili powder for increased flavor. |
| • | Seafood Risotto with Grilled Vegetables Risotto is enhanced with seafood stock, sautéed lobster, shrimp and scallops. Top with grilled seasonal vegetables. Recipe courtesy of the Celiac Sprue Association. |
| • | Chunky Vegetarian Chili Add comfort to the menu with this vegetarian chili full of vegetables, beans and rice. Flavored with onion, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. |
Read how Executive Chef of Kimpton Restaurant Panzano in Denver, Elise Wiggins includes rice as a staple on her gluten-free menu.