K-12 School Dining Changes

As COVID 19 continues to cause changes in every area of the school building changes are being made to ensure the safety of students. This is also true in the foodservice section of education. As children adjust to the new normal in the classroom, the cafeteria staff must adjust to new normal like socially distanced cafeterias and in-class lunch delivery. Here our experts will go through what changes foodservice operations should expect, while also, suggesting the proper product to create a safe and efficient environment.

Tip # 1

First, for transport it is important that meals maintain their temperature until reaching the hands of students. Though many lunch options hold well, when it comes to safety it is better to be proactive than to cause illness due to improper holding. To solve this issue, consider the use of Mightlite pan carriers. These carriers are lightweight and can be transported on carts to individual classrooms to provide students with lunches in a timely manner.

Mighty lite is one of the most convenient ways to transfer food. The unique EPP build of the cooler is easy to lift with a lower overall weight when compared to other versions of pan carriers which can weigh over 20lbs without food in some cases.

Tip # 2

Another important aspect of the modern foodservice operation is the safety of staff as they go about their jobs throughout the day. To ensure that staff is protected, invest in personal protective equipment (PPE) and provide a centralized location where PPE can be accessed. This will allow staff to have a point of check-in every day. This point of access will also serve to provide staff with access to supplies like masks, gloves, sanitizer, and other necessary items to fully prepare for their day.

These PPE stations are also ideal points of employee entry and can be used as testing areas as people enter the building. Digital thermometers can be stored in the PPE cart for initial checks at the beginning of the day.

Tip # 3

Make sure you have plenty of carts to provide meals to students curbside and in the classroom. A cart or mobile shelf is a perfect solution for the delivery of multiple meals. Carts are an ideal way to move meals quickly and efficiently.

The advanced polymer build makes Metro carts are an ideal solution in the aspect of cleanliness. Metro shelves can be a cleaned regularly to maintain their structural integrity over time, this is highly beneficial for facilities that are working with new more intense regulations.

Metro’s polymer products also come with Microban® antimicrobials built into the product. Microban antimicrobials work 24-7 to inhibit the growth of microorganisms like bacteria mold and mildew. This added benefit works to maintain a cleaner environment between regular cleanings.

Tip # 4

Organize to win. To organize condiments and utensils consider the use of bins. By adding bins to your management of inventory you provide easy access to all needed materials. By using clear bins, staff can easily identify what objects are in each bins and quickly prep bags.

This is a great addition to your staging area. Staging is the process of putting together lunches. An organized staging area is an easy way to speed up the process of creating bagged lunches.

In the new landscape of eating off location. It is important That students have everything they need in with their meals because they will not be on location for added aspects if their meal like sauces and other smaller elements.

To help create an organized system, consider investing in a specific area for this process to keep everything condensed. This can minimize the number of mistakes made during the final order organization.