Portage, Mich. Schools Boost Meal Participation With Scratch Cooking

Aug. 18, 2011

Portage, Mich. public schools have moved away from processed foods and toward "home" cooking, a change which has led to an increase in meal counts in the schools, according to The Kalamazoo Gazette in Kalamazoo, Mich.

For the full story click here.

Editor’s Insight: Schools are still learning how to improve their meal programs to make them more nutritious and improve student participation. Refreshment service operators who provide school foodservice will find it worth their trouble to understand schools’  needs and be willing to offer new programs as opposed to taking a cookie cutter approach.

The Portage, Mich. district has made significant progress, thanks to the dedication of the foodservice staff.

Last year, breakfast participation increased 600 percent in a pilot program at a middle school where breakfast was served between first and second hour. That’s a significant increase. 08-18-11 by Elliot Maras