MyPlate is a necessary change for our nations food environment. With subsidies and a need for better communication surrounding our production system, nutrition guidelines, etc., the USDA, along with Michelle Obama, recognized the importance of redesigning the dated MyPyramid graphic scheme. MyPlate is the current answer. From a national communication tool, the MyPlate graphic makes sense for the everyday eater and anyone who has the ability to select, choose and consumer in any environment.

The graphic of MyPlate is most often shown in K-12 School Environments. For the purposes of K-12 School Food Dining as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), most students receive a tray when they purchase a lunch, not a plate. Plates are pretty rare in the elementary and middle school environments which is where the majority of the communication needs to happen to establish good eating habits at a young age. Here at TILT we see the need for specific tools whenever possible to be more effective, so we created the MyTray graphic to specifically support K-12 School Food.

We love MyPlate’s colors and friendly approach to educating students on proper nutrition. MyTray is fitting with this tone and design and we are looking forward to maximizing the opportunity across the board to help students eat better. As Foodservice Directors and Teachers, while you can’t be at home, but while Students are at school, best information possible can be offered.

We are busy working on materials for Foodservice Directors and Teachers to help you to explain the NSLP and educate your students on what it means to eat well using our MyTray graphic. Soon we will launch with a whole set of available tools and materials to purchase and download. Right now we just have the basics uploaded.

Sign up if you want to know more about it and stay abreast of the updates.

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Please Note: We are not affiliated with the USDA. These materials were put together based on what is needed in the school environment to promote the new USDA Nutrition Standards from ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Feedback is very appreciated, so send us any notes or ideas you might have.

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©2012 TILTFOUNDATION All Rights Reserved.

We are exhausted, overwhelmed and starved for energy as a society. If the average American sleeps 6 hours a night, and the average human should have 8, we are needing at least 2 hours of a pick me up. Do you ever feel like you are ready to crash and burn at 3pm in the afternoon? Pretty normal for many of us. For the past 10 or so years, Energy Drinks have been rising on the RTD (Ready to Drink) scene and with core drinks like Red Bull and Monster, this has become a huge profit opportunity… especially in the convenience sector.

Scheckter’s Organic Energy Drink is one bringing new meaning to the industry, which is going to take the world by storm. We found this incredibly tasty and self-proclaimed ‘natural energy’ drink in London and have been following its movement ever since. One of the traits we are enthralled with, is the can. Beyond the healthy liquid, this can is made for holding and consuming. It is textured with a matte, patterned finish makes gripping more enjoyable and less taxing. The simple white color is attractive and stands out on the shelf next to its much larger, bolder counterparts. It is tall, however; taller than a Red Bull can, but not taller than a Monster can. It is a quick drink at only 300ml and is fully recyclable.

The website is chalked full of information on the ingredients contained and really does a nice job of spreading the seed of their product to their consumers using education. Basically, right now, the product is pretty untouchable from a competition standpoint. How’s that for breaking into the market?

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STATS

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BIG IDEA

Right now the Energy Drink is only offered in the can with the one flavor. We think that this is a limitless flavor opportunity and maybe there are options to even change the size or the kind of product offered. It is a little difficult for the on the go sports drinker, so while it is not aimed at that market, we would recommend adding in an opportunity for a squeezable bottle to make it a bit easier to drink, literally on the run. And what about adding an espresso flavor for those coffee drinkers out there?

(In most cases, Advertiser = Marketer)

The beauty of illusion has been a controversy for decades, perhaps stemming from 1960s Mad Men-esque era of advertising, but sticking around as a way to enhance consumer reality. Advertisers use illusion as a sales trick to increase opportunity and bottom line. Let’s face it; we live in a bit of a bubble in this world (especially in America), surrounded by a sea of media and an explosion of excitement. It is difficult for any product to standout and it is the job of any advertiser to find a way to make it happen; no holds bar. Now it is common to see the perfect model in print, a model no human could ever match up to. Through Photoshop and retouching, we believe whatever we are told to believe and as a result, we have shifted our reality from natural beauty to manufactured purpose.

In our first office in London in 2010 we were housed in Old Street in the Design Business Association’s (DBA) office building. We shared an office floor with a brilliant photographer, a company of sports-focused branders and Jo and her partner Clive. Jo is a master illusionist and her job is to touch-up a photograph to transform into whatever her client is looking for. It was here we learned the art of Photoshop and all the tricks of the trade. She could make the model 4 sizes smaller, flatten her stomach, add a 6-pack of abs, align her eyes, smooth out her pores, change her eye color, give her curly or straight hair, adjust her skin color to be tanner or lighter, etc. Reality became whatever the client wanted her to produce and it did not have to be a product found in nature.

Jo works with all models, including food. We found her version of the tomato to be stunningly delicious looking next to the original drab, found-in-nature fruit. Her lettuce was sweating from sunshine, but the actual was dry and curling under the photo lights. Her ready-made meal looks steamy and delicious next to the real photo of crusty edged black plastic of the previously frozen meal which had just been heated up. In Jo’s case a food stylist is not necessary on a shoot, she can make anything happen and we began to believe that this is what it really looks like, even though we saw her remake it all. It is amazing what trickery can be created out of a small little studio on Old Street.

We, as consumers, are so programmed to see an image and to latch onto it as our new version of reality. We know ahead of time we are not going to be consuming the perfect-picture which drove us into the restaurant, but we would agree we would never buy a product if it was based on its reality. We are okay with this non-reality. Just like the Fast Food restaurant, a perfect set of magic tricks and skills – the pre-determined sounds, the manufacturers smells, the unrealistically shiny and tasty images are all non-realities in practice, but they have become what we want to have to represent our interests and our desires when we eat. We have chosen to believe we are eating a sandwich from the menuboard, not the one in front of us. We ignore the reality and the demand has shifted from the Advertisers illusion to our request for non-reality. If you want to see a bunch of these, take a look here.

So, what does all of this mean? One theory is that we need to begin to shift our mindset back to the days of reality and to start really looking at the world around us. Start enjoying that imperfect fruit and know part of its imperfection is that it makes it taste better and fresher, especially when it comes straight from the ground. The other theory is part of our nations over-consumption and obesity is because we have allowed Advertisers to rule the roost. We need to start gaining control of our futures by making decisions for ourselves and not through the eyes of a salesman.

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At TILT we are doing our part to find a balance. We know there is the need to increase the bottom line for each of our clients, but we also know it is important to be protective of consumers. Health and wellness are at the forefront of this concern and we are working to develop products which drive the world towards a positive future, enjoying true reality. Contact us if you want to learn more about how you can do that too.

As a person who has really not eaten many wheat-based products, or enjoyed much of anything typical as it relates to breakfast foods, finding a delicious recipe for vegan and gluten free pancakes has been awesome… especially in the cold, Ithaca winter. Here is my magical recipe.

Ingredients (just add to your liking, we are visual here and don’t take well to measuring):

• Make up wheat with a blend of Buckwheat, Rice Flour, Quinoa Flour
• Orange juice and almond milk (about half of each)
• Add a healthy splash of sparkling water, we recommend San Pellegrino
• A dash of vanilla goes a long way (not necessary)
• Salt and Sugar to your liking (not necessary)
• Add a little spoonful of veggie oil (we prefer sunflower oil, because most veggie oils have soy in them these days)
• Crushed pecans and blueberries or tiny chopped up apples

Then add it to the pan and see what happens. It is a bit of an experiment always, so sometimes we add in some baking soda or powder depending on what happens, but it is really not necessary.

We make a delicious pear butter, or you can use tahini with sliced almonds and agave to have a spread. Instead of maple syrup, we use an agave, and it is always served with a little fresh salad and fruit for a balanced meal.

Like  the festival circuit, food trucks are convenient for the customer and make a lot of sense for the operator. It is certainly not a new idea, but it is one that is gaining traction and movement and is especially appealing to our entrepreneurial-driven society. It offers flexibility and opportunity.

So why is it now gaining so much traction? This could be a let’s jump on the bandwagon scenario with a domino effect. The movement is getting a lot of press and in turn it is offering a support system to the cause. But we think there is another idea here that is helping to drive this concept forward: the recession.

Rent is expensive and an add-on cost, offering limited flexibility and assuming huge amounts of risk. What if you select a street which gets less footfall that it should? What if construction starts nearby? What if your concept doesn’t work and you need to reinvent? All of these challenges require time and money to make better. 90% of restaurants close their doors in under 3 years and if we assume that statistic, what is the point in even trying? In a food truck, you can just pick up and move. If you want to rebrand your concept, all you need is a new wrap around the outside (which you should replace every two years anyway to keep it clean and fresh looking) and maybe a few new items of equipment. Expectations can be low and reward can be high when you have limited investment into something.

So enter the food truck. Possibly a perfect workplace. It almost feels like we should all jump ship from our corporate day jobs and give the food truck lifestyle a chance. There are the ones with just cupcakes, the ones with just chicken (Ludo Bites), the veggie ones, the burger ones, the veg vans for locations without access to fresh food, the promotion oriented ones (like Air France’s food truck), the grocery ones, etc. Just like a normal lunch truck from the days of the blue collar worker, we are getting an assortment of awesome and tasty food. Yay!

We propose that the future of dining comes in the form of on-the-run eating and a truck fits the bill perfectly. What’s your vision for a food truck? Send in your ideas here.

]]> http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/think/food-trucks/feed/ 0 http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/think/products/meal-replacements-bars/ http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/think/products/meal-replacements-bars/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:59:18 +0000 Rachael http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/?p=6235

Most of us have tried a meal replacement diet some point in our lives… usually when summer is around the corner or a special event is just about to happen. But is it really good for you and what happens when we stop remembering what it is like to be in a kitchen?

If you have had a chance to review our Generation Snack presentation, you will get a chance to see how important these meal replacements have been in our society and how the entire snack movement stemmed out of a need for on-the-go dining. Meal replacements are two fold: 1. Convenient & On-the-Go  2. Diet-Oriented (when used correctly)

Meal replacement bars are available in most health food shops and grocery stores and the market is growing despite the recession. They must contain the required nutrients a body needs to survive as well as being tasty and low calorie. Again, many of these are used for diet-method eating, but there is an increasing number of bars used for snacks and general on-the-go-nutrition. There is an increase of healthier options of meal supplements such as Go Raw, Two Moms in the Raw, NAKD and Pro-Bar to name a few.

But there is a slight concern – Part of eating food (as well as the importance to our survival and health ) is the basic enjoyment of it. Being able to sit down with our friends and family and chew the fat (pun intended) over a well-cooked meal is one of the enjoyments of life (or at least it is for foodies like us). Eating a meal replacement bar takes hardly any time at all, there is no need for any preparation, simply open and eat! Hardly something you can sit down and enjoy with friends or take time to enjoy, though… and certainly no wonderful smells coming from the kitchen when preparing.

Despite all this, one key issue with meal replacement bars is that they do not educate people on how to eat healthier. What happens after the diet or craving has ended? How do you know how to choose low fat, protein rich foods after eating the bars. Has your body lost its cravings for high calorie, sweet and fatty foods? Has your body adapted to a healthier diet or by restricting the diet to shakes, bars and one man meal a day does your body crave ‘real’ food even more?

The focus on obesity and the demand for on the go food has meant that even in these times the meal replacement market has seen a healthy growth. A report by IBIS World states that sales are set to rise 9.3% to $2.2bn in the US this year. Meal replacement diets are cheaper than other diets which involve pills as so despite consumers tightening their budgets this may explain why there is such a growth in this market. More than 230 companies operate in this market in the US with the major players being Unilever (Slimfast), Herbalife (formula 1) Abbott Labs (Ensure, EAS and Myoplex).

However there is never an substitute or quick fix that achieves better long term health benefits than a fresh, low fat, low calorie high fibre and protein diet with regular exercise. And no replacement for a healthy home cooked meal best shared with friends.

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OUR BIG IDEA

Instead of your typical chocolate or caramel bar, why not if we are replacing meals, offer more savory options with maybe a better set of ingedients and of course all the smells that go along with it? Let’s make the on-the-go meal supplement bar act as a kitchen on the run! We would totally dig a garlic and herb bar, hot and spicy, coconut curry, garlic peach bar!

Ahh… London. Heaven on Earth for Foodies. There is really nothing better (in the world) for a global palette and an assortment of flavors. Funny that the stigma is still that London has crap food – and we will take it as it is the best kept secret!

We tried to pull together a comprehensive list of the best places to visit in the whole of London, but it was challenging to pick one area, so we decided to pocket the city into locations which would be worth venturing to. Everything from convenience, small grocery, fast and casual dining, incredible dinners out and event-specific places are listed below. London is known for the ‘Local Chain;’ there are lots of small chain restaurants all over London that don’t expand beyond the city. There are certainly other highlights all around the city, but these are many of our favorites and we think the BEST OF LONDON experiences, mostly around food. Have at it kids… and let us know what you think! Contact us

Thank you to our TILT friends: Jason Pinto, Andrew Sundling, Jack Middleton, Monica Bjorklund, Luca Maclennan, Anthony Snead, Eddie Stableford, Surrinder Chera, Tania Hill and Dan Carter for their incredible help in sharing their favorites around the city.

We started in the North and then went around the whole city. If you are running or biking, this would take you quite a bit as it is about 30 miles, but it would be a fantastic trip, and probably the most efficient way to go. Now with the Barclays Bikes, it would be a piece of cake to rent if you are visiting! If you are driving, you will follow this path, and if you are taking the tube, just go to the closest station and then wander.

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CROUCH END
Busiest High Street in the whole of England
Budgens & Food From the Skye (a growing space on top of the grocery store, they sell their product in the store)
Tesco
Waitrose
Arocaria (Best Greek Restaurant)
Monkey Nuts

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HACKNEY / EAST LONDON / STOKE NEWINGTON (click here for a map)

Farm:Shop London (Our old office – look here and here)
Cafe Oto
The Print House – Bootstrap Company (Art Gallery, Roof Top Space – and another one of our offices)
Hackney Farms
Dalston Curve Garden (Pack a picnic and head on over)
Passing Clouds (Groovy Bar)
Columbia Road Flower Market (Sunday mornings)
Yum Yum Thai (Best Thai in the city)

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LIVERPOOL STREET / SPITALFIELDS / SHOREDITCH / HOXTON / BRICK LANE (click here for a map)
Spitalfields Market (Open daily and on Sundays. Closed on Saturday)
Giraffe
Luxe
Leon Restaurant (Incredibly cool fast n’ casual restaurant)
Waterhouse Restaurant (Most eco restaurant in the City)
Wagamama
Nando’s
Pizza East
Shoreditch House (Try to find someone to get you in, since it is a private members club only.)
Walking tour of Graffiti on Brick Lane
Brick Lane Market (Sundays Only)
White Cube
Busaba Eathai
Taylor Street Baristas (Best Coffee in London)

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SOUTHWARK / BOROUGH / BERMONDSEY / SHAD THAMES / ST. KATHERINE’S DOCK / WAPPING
Borough Market (Can’t miss it…)
Tapas Brindisa (Start with breakfast at 9:30 on Saturday am here, then go onto the Market)
Monmouth Coffee
Neal’s Yard Dairy
Real Food Festival
Tate Modern Cafe
Design Museum, Blue Print Cafe
Le Pont De La Tour
Village East (Our personal favorite)
The Living Room
Dickens Inn
Ping Pong
Wapping Project (Most amazing total experience, make sure to go to the gallery)
Gastronomica

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BRIXTON / HERNE HILL / CLAPHAM / BEDZED (click here for a map)
Brixton Market
Cornercopia (Make reservations and bring your own wine)
Edible Bus Stop
The Florence (Quintessential English dining in a proper pub)
Eco Restaurant
BedZed (We used to live here)

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NOTTING HILL / HYDE PARK / MARYLEBONE
SAF & Whole Foods Kensington (Best Whole Foods in the World)
Daylesford Organics in Pimlico
Lido Hyde Park (Sit outside, have a cup of normal tea and relax in the sun)
Portobello Road Market (Sunday Morning)
Trailer Happiness (Most strange lounge ever… if you can find it, you deserve to go!)
Portobello Star
FishWorks
Natural Kitchen

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OXFORD CIRCUS / PICCADILLY CIRCUS
Joe & the Juice
Itsu
Yo! Sushi (Such a cool concept)
Gaucho’s
EAT (Streetside)
Pret a Manger (Streetside)
M&S (Basement)
Selfridges (A true food experience)
Harrods
Wahaca
Wasabi
Vitao
Vital Ingredient
Le Pain Quotidien
Flat Planet
Sketch (THIS IS A MUST SEE)
Milk & Honey
Yalla Yalla (Arabasque Dining… British food mixed with Arab food)

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RUSSELL SQUARE / LAMBS CONDUIT
The People’s Supermarket (We used to be involved with Marketing here)
POD Good Food Cafe
Espresso Room
Kennards (First place in London that we went to)
Cockpit Arts (Artist Community)
Lumen Cafe (Very interesting concept, inside a church)
Beas of Bloomsbury

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ANGEL / OLD STREET / SMITHFIELDS / CLERKENWELL / KINGS CROSS (click here for a map)
Look Mum No Hands
Smith of Smithfield (SOS) (3 Levels of totally unique dining; have a burger or go high end)
St. Ali’s
Caravan Coffee at Exmouth Market (Our favorite staple cafe)
St. Chads Place (Definite place to chill on Friday nights)
El Papito at Camino (Great stop for prosciutto and nuts)
Sourced Market (Our favorite grocer in the whole of London)
M&S at St. Pancras, operated by SSP
Booking Office at St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel
Camden Food Co.
The Hub (find a member to take you, it is members only)
Pret a Manger
Chop’d
Carluccios
Pizza Express
Chutneys (Best Indian All You Can Eat buffet in London)

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PRIMROSE HILL / CAMDEN TOWN
Buy food from Whole Foods or Shepherds in Primrose Hill and hike up the hill to have a snack
Mango Room (Our staple Caribbean Restaurant)
Inspiral Lounge (The best Vegan Restaurant in London)
Alchemy (Fantastic Cafe and Yoga Studio)
Camden Market
Loving Hut (A Pay Whatever You Want Restaurant)

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ALL OVER THE CITY

Secret Cinema
Rambling Restaurant (Most amazing Pop Up Restaurant Concept)
Latitudinal Dinner
London Markets

Coca-Cola® was invented on May 6, 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia by a local pharmacist named Dr. John Stith Pemberton.  He came up with the formula originally as a non-alcoholic substitute to his French Wine Coca from the Kola Root. He worked with a local druggist who helped to perfect the concoction where it was added it to soda water. It was pronounced “delicious and refreshing” and placed on sale for five cents a glass. Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, suggested the name and penned the now famous trademark in his own unique script and the most recognizable logo in the world was born.

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During that first year sales averaged nine glasses a day.  Today, now operating in more than 200 countries and producing nearly 450 brands, the Coca-Cola® system has successfully applied a simple formula on a global scale: provide a moment of refreshment for a very small amount of money — a billion times a day.

Perhaps no person had more impact on The Coca-Cola Company than Robert Woodruff. In 1928, Coca-Cola president, Robert Woodruff introduced the soda overseas when Coca-Cola traveled with the U.S. team to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Woodruff pushed development and distribution of the six-pack, the open top cooler, and many other innovations that made it easier for people to drink Coca-Cola at home or away.

Until the mid-1950s, Coca-Cola was defined by a 6 ½-ounce hobble-skirt bottle or bell-shaped fountain glass. The unique glass design was utilized to discourage “Coco-Cola copycats”. But as consumers demanded a wider variety of container choices, the Company responded with innovative packaging, new technology and new products.

Starting in 1960 the company began introducing new soft drink flavors to satisfy a widening spectrum of tastes;  Fanta®, Sprite® and in 1963 the Company introduced TAB®, its first low-calorie beverage.  Also in 1960 the Minute Maid Corporation merged with the Coca-Cola Company, adding frozen citrus juice concentrates and” ades” under the trademarks Minute Maid® and Hi-C®.

Throughout its history, The Coca-Cola Company has captured the spirit of the times through its advertising art. From its first promotional calendars produced in the1890s, the Company linked itself to the popular designs and lifestyles of the era the art represents.  Some of the most famous artists were Haddon H. Sundblom, Norman Rockwell, N.C Wyeth, and today the fabulous designs of Karl Lagerfield grace Diet Coke aluminum bottles.  Lagerfield says he drinks diet coke himself – day and night!

The Coca-Cola Company has a long history of sponsoring major events, organizations and projects around the world. Among the most well known sponsorships are American Idol, Apple iTunes, BET Network, NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, and the Olympic Games.  The most current is the tie-in with the new white polar bear designed cans and white bottle caps on other Coca-Cola brands with the World Wildlife Fund. Each can and bottle cap will include a special code that lets folks text $1 donations to the World Wildlife Fund’s efforts to protect the polar bear’s Arctic home.  Coke will match consumer donations up to $1 million.  The white cans will be available until March.  And that’s how a simple flavor developed in 1886 has survived and continues to be fresh, new and relevant in 2011.

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OUR BIG IDEA

Get into the hearts of the Millennials by creating a cup made of recyclable materials that can be reused everywhere. Provide incentives for using it by allowing people to receive free refills anywhere that carries a coke dispenser as long as they have their cup! Maybe also offer a good for you version with a health-twist!

]]> http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/think/products/coca-cola/feed/ 0 http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/we/winter-vegfest/ http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/we/winter-vegfest/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:13:27 +0000 Rachael http://www.tiltstudioinc.com/?p=7386

Sunday, in the middle of an up and down weather day with winter and spring (high temps, low temps / snow, sun) we had a delicious Vegfest, complete with locally grown winter veggies, and a variety of other options.

A small and intimate group, this offered TILT the chance to try out a few new options and really relax into the day. What a wonderful moment.

On the Menu (Everything is GF, V, SF, LDF, WF, MF, with the exception of the Tangerine Pudding and the Veggie Pancakes which had 1 egg in each batch):

• Mushroom, Asparagus, Leek, Onion, Garlic and Brussels Sprout Scramble
• Marishya’s Veggie Soup w/ a Parsley Dusting
• Zucchini and Carrot Pancakes for Dipping
• Tomato, Pine Nut Italian Salad
• Fresh Green Salad w/ Mustard Seed Dressing
• Hummus and Veggie Crudites
• Broccolirabe Salad with Sesame Seeds
• Tangerine English Pudding Squares w/ Tahini Almond Butter

And for Dessert:

• TILT Raw Chocolates
• Dehydrated Honey Dipped Orange Slices
• Rosemary and Olive Oil Apple Chips
• Roasted Sweet and Savory Mixed Nuts

For any recipes, please contact us and we are happy to send your way.

The most common discussion we have with Food Service Directors (FSD) is in changing the menu, they fear the students won’t like the food and won’t purchase it. This might be the case in some instances, but let’s give the kids a chance! Lunch Ladies and FSD’s are just as much of a challenge as the food offered as commodities by the USDA in some cases… they, like we, are jaded from past experience. It is true that kids have simpler tastes than we do, but all great change takes time. And it is time to get started.

Try incorporating local fruits and veggies into school food reimbursable ‘Complete’ meals. By this time next year if you want to sell reimbursable meals the kids are going to have to take them anyway. Educate them on why that is (the USDA has changes to the School Lunch requirements effective on July 1st). Make the lunchroom more of an experience focused on students and offer them the chance to work with you on it. The changes don’t have to be large, but they should be focused.

For an example: instead of a cheesy meat pizza, try a whole grain crust, 1/3 the amount of cheese and pile the veggies high. Talk to your students, explain the importance of fresh veggies and fruits in their diet and just get them to give it a whirl. Try it several times in different food prep styles, offer a place to comment on what they would like to see, offer samples up for the teachers to bring into their classrooms, etc. Just remember, don’t get discouraged, they will get excited eventually. The more you talk about it, the more time you spend marketing it, the more they will think about it. The Baby Carrots Association is a great example of this.

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Kids and Food
Right now, we are fortunate that kids are starting to drive some of this. Farm programs are popping up all over the country, schools are getting involved in growing projects and the movement is expanding forward with or without additional promotion on behalf of the FSD’s and Lunch Cooks.

• Food Revolution and Fifteen concept by Jamie Oliver. (he developed this with chef Arthur Potts Dawson. We worked with him at The People’s Supermarket.)
• Our Chester Zoo proposal wasn’t funded yet, but is still a great idea…
• Allergens are breaking through the market, fast. There are tons of opportunities here.
• Edible School Yard in San Francisco
• Great Kids Farm in Baltimore, MD
• Cafeteria Man, documentary about Tony Geraci

Actual Product
It is a sad truth, but we no longer actually provide real food products. Everything is either grown using a GMO seed or is mass produced in a factory instead on a farm. It is heartbreaking and the amount of raw food waste that we have every day because the product doesn’t match the wholesalers specs is increasing. But the more that we buy, the more money that the schools will have to spend on local and organic food choices. So, participation is key. Also having a strong understanding and knowledge of healthy and fresh food is important because if the students demand it, eventually something will have to give. Right now, with our abundance of canned food options and limited variety of fresh, it is a challenge, but this is slowly starting to change.

• Local Food Movement
• Growing product on a school like Cornell’s ag program or the one in Baltimore
• Real Food Campaign
• Sustain brand is an awesome site with lots of wonderful information.

Giving students what they want vs. what they need
In most cases, when kids are offered the option, they are going to select things that taste good to them. We have changed our taste buds to match their core flavor profile requirements, instead of their core nutritional needs. Doritos are a great example of this, since this is a food that doesn’t exist in nature, but it marketed in the right way to them. Original marketing was ‘how you can’t just take one,’ which was a good thing. Our country has been shameless when it comes to profitability.

Providing kids information about processed food and then sharing what they should be eating based on nutritional needs is essential. It all comes down to education and promotion of the right things. Change their mindsets about what they want through great marketing. (Again, back to the Baby Carrots Association). Make it cool to eat healthy…

• Nutrition notes from the USDA
• Listening to their bodies is key. We need to teach them how to do this through activities and marketing. Our Simply Good campaign is part of this.
• Working with a good nutritionist to develop a Total Health model might be cool where kids can track their levels.

Food Design
This area is becoming increasingly more prominent and all over you are seeing products that are not built in nature. It is a whole world yet to be unexplored, but almost anything that you see in a grocery store has been tampered with its design. Remember that you can change the presentation of just about anything to try to get noticed. If kids are demanding it and only taking products that meet those interest requirements, try to buy into it. There are many companies doing this, but two of our favorite resources are:

• Honey and Bunny
• Food Design Symposium

Menu Fatigue
Man oh man… these menus get so dated so quickly. We think having a more modular system in all cases might be a better approach. Break the mold in this and just design really fabulous spaces and include a digital menu board. Why does it have to be a particular concept? When you look at the new McDonald’s and Starbucks of today, you are seeing a space that really could offer any style of foodservice. They have a theme, but it can change as needed. Don’t have a space defined by menu. Another idea is to just throw out the menu all together and have a food style based on the local foods for the season might be a better approach as this will keep things fresh. Kids gravitate towards consistency, but that is not necessarily healthy dining. Many great companies are providing a healthy local menu solution. Here are just a few:

• Acorn House
• Riverford Farms
• Food Nation
• CSA Local
• Chef Ann Cooper
• Chef Kate CFA
• Revolution Foods

Marketing
Where to even begin with this? Wow! Marketing to students needs to be driven by the students for the students. This could be so open ended, but it is so much more than just programming, it is a total shift in mindset. Create a whole new platform for communication to the students. Think about a complete change.

In addition to this communication platform, the marketing can play a role in education of new products. Let your creativity flow:

• Small plates
• New concepts to be more flexi menu options
• Provide raw food and nuts and fruits on a continual basis all around campus
• Remove soda, only provide water and whole juices in vending machines
• Switch the mindset from want to need and making money to provide good quality service
• Pair working out with meals
• Drop the processed menu diet completely
• Provide a full on convenience store in all campus’ (make it part of your model) with chef demos, educational seminars, tastings, etc. Make this store a place where kids can buy all the things that they need to cook for themselves.

The Modern Lunch Line
This is the new K-12 Movement. I found this article pretty stellar, so maybe you will appreciate it too. Really, it is about effecting the way that food is marketed to students. For example, “Power Peas” as a marketing piece actually helped to sell more peas! And using Bugs Bunny with K-8 students drove carrot sales. In 1929 Canned Spinach was the biggest veg seller because of our pal Popeye. It works.

• Mindless Eating by Dr. Brian Wainsink. The NY Times Article on him is here. Check out Smarter Lunchrooms as well.
• Stay tuned for some of the great work we are doing at the F&B Lab at Cornell (shhhh… it’s a secret).
• Spend more time training your staff on knife, interaction and presentation skills. Know What Your Lunch Lady Wants presentation is great!

Making food the main ingredient to learning
Studies have shown that kids that start with breakfast typically perform better during the day. Nutrition is hugely important to education and sustaining brain power. This should be integrated into the curriculum.

• Make Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner a class or a period that is required on a campus.
• Integrate food everywhere: Have a smoothie break mid-morning. Grow food in a classroom, have a Salad party. Create a hydrogenated water for after sports. Hand out snacks before kids go home.
• Do whatever you can to incorporate slow food into the curriculum or your schedule.
• Think about Family Nutrition.
• Incorporate tools throughout all classrooms and in the hallways.

Taking it back from batch and into MTO
Kids are willing to wait more if they know that what they are eating is fresh. We have to change the way that our food system is set up in order to accommodate a larger check average and a more thoughtful approach to food. We want kids to benefit from understanding where their food comes from and to spend time enjoying it. It is the respite in the day that takes them away from school and brings them into the folds of a community. Some of the brands that are doing a great job already are:

• Rutter’s Farm Stores
• Disney Effect
• Modmarket

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TILT’S BIG IDEA:
If TILT were to recommend the plan, we would follow the Bioregional mindset for a better planet. It is called One Planet Living and the principals are now globally defined in the sustainability model of the Olympics. We would also really think about how to get kids involved in their space. Make each dining room into an experience that is unique to the students in that community and crafted for them. Make it a teaching area on campus and offer it as a place to continually learn math, science, language and communication. Food should integrate into all other areas of the school as well. Try making a tasting area in each lunch room. Also think about engaging the students in the recipe development and menu preparation. When they understand it better, they will buy into it more.

With the next steps, I would be thoughtful to also think about this from a Permaculture mentality which incorporates all aspects of sustainability into one thought:

• Earthshare
• Peopleshare
• Fairshare