APRIL 3-6, 2013, LONG BEACH, CA
“Red, Yellow, Green, GO! with Salad Bars
to meet Vegetable and Fruit Requirements
in the New HHFKA Meal Pattern”
These materials have been prepared by the CASBO Central Section Child Nutrition Professional Council have not
been reviewed by State CASBO for approval, so therefore are not an official statement of CASBO.
“Red, Yellow, Green, GO! with Salad Bars to
meet Vegetable and Fruit Requirements in the
New HHFKA Meal Pattern”
Regina G. Ocampo
Sanger Unified School District
Child Nutrition Director
Review requirements for
successful implementation of salad
bars in schools


Best Practices:
Present ways salad bars can be
instrumental in helping schools
meet new meal regulations
 Review
Requirements
 Discuss different styles of salad bars
 Review menu production record
requirements
 Review point of service requirements
 Review food safety aspects

Positive way to promote
your school meal program
and fresh products
 Great
way to offer a wide variety of
fruits and vegetables and increase
daily consumption
 Assist schools in meeting the vegetable
subgroup requirements
 Attractive way to encourage students
to try new foods
 Can service multiple lines
HHFKA 2012-2013 National School Lunch Meal Pattern
Grades K-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
Amount of Food Per Week (Minimum Per Day)
Meal Components
Fruits (cups)
2½ (½)
2½ (½)
5 (1)
Vegetables (cups)
3¾ (¾)
3¾ (¾)
5 (1)
Dark green
½
½
½
Red/Orange
¾
¾
1¼
Beans and peas
(legumes)
½
½
½
Starchy
½
½
½
Other
½
½
¾
1
1
1½
Grains (oz. eq)
8-9 (1)
8-10 (1)
10-12 (2)
Meats/Meat
Alternates (oz. eq)
8-10 (1)
9-10 (1)
10-12 (2)
5 (1)
5 (1)
5 (1)
Additional Veg to
Reach Total
Fluid milk (cups)
HHFKA 2012-2013 National School Lunch Meal Pattern
Grades K-5
Grades 9-12
Amount of Food Per Week (Minimum Per Day)
Meal Components
Fruits (cups)
Grades 6-8
2½ (½)
2½ (½)
5 (1)
HHFKA 2012-2013 National School Lunch Meal Pattern
Grades K-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
Amount of Food Per Week (Minimum Per Day)
Meal Components
3¾ (¾)
3¾ (¾)
5 (1)
Dark green
½
½
½
Red/Orange
¾
¾
1¼
Beans and peas
(legumes)
½
½
½
Starchy
½
½
½
Other
½
½
¾
Additional Veg to
Reach Total
1
1
1½
Vegetables (cups)
 Be
sure to offer enough per day to equal the
minimum over the week!
 Consistent
with the meal pattern
 For age/grade grouping
 For Offer vs. Serve
 Pre-portioning:
¼ cup and ½ cup servings for K-8
 ½ cup servings may be better for 9-12


Appropriate


1 cup salad greens vs. 1 cup radishes
Affordable

1 cup fresh pineapple vs. 1 cup fresh apple

Purchase “In-Season” and “Regional” fresh produce

Plan choices for ease of selection




½ cup fruit
¼ cup and ½ cup vegetables
A vegetable mix with at least 1/8 cup of each type of
veggie
A combo of fruits and vegetables to meet ½ cup

If offered on the salad bar, do they meet the
daily minimum meal requirements?


1 oz. M/MA and 1 Grain for K-8
2 oz. M/MA and 2 Grains for 9-12
Do they meet the weekly minimum (and not
exceed maximum [now flexible!]) for M/MA
and Grains requirements?
 Consider offering a pre- portioned M/MA
“Salad Topper” on the serving line OR a
separate “Topper Bar” with M/MA and Grain
choices

If a student has selected a
serving of milk and no M/MA
or Grain choices, what does the
student need to select from the
salad bar in order to have a
reimbursable meal??
 Located
at or near the beginning of
serving line
 Simple and easy to understand
 Possible color coding of food choices to
match color coding on signs

Colorful photos of food choices may help
19
USDA memo SP 02-2010 (Revised): Salad Bars in
the National School Lunch Program (provided)
Website Resources:
 Wake Up to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables


http://www.wakeupfv.com
Fruit and Vegetables Galore

http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resources/fv_galore.html
 Harvest
of the
Month
 Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Grants
 Alliance for a
Healthier
Generation
 US Healthier
School Challenge
 Fruit
and Vegetable
choices only
 Choices for an entire
reimbursable meal
 Theme Bars





Baked Potato Bar
Taco Bar
Pasta Bar
Burger Bar
Sandwich Bar
 Traditional
self-serve
 Pre-portioned,
pre-packed
choices
 Grab and Go
sides
at multiple
windows
Farmer’s Market
Harvest Bar
 Choose
the one that best
meets the needs of your program
 Custom Design = Endless Possibilities!
26
Incorporate fresh, local (or regional) produce
 Promote Farm to School programs
 Connect with School Gardens (if available)


Michelle Obama’s campaign

Goal to bring 6,000 new salad bars into
Child Nutrition programs

http://www.saladbars2schools.org
 Research
based techniques
developed at Cornell University
 http://www.smarterlunchrooms.org




Offer fruit in at least two locations
Offer fruit in bowl or basket
Name vegetables creatively
Visual prompting – Signage
 “Fresh Salad Bar with every entrée”
 “Last chance to choose fruit”
 “Fresh fruits and vegetables choices with every
lunch”
 Attractive
and
Inviting
 Variety
 Color
 Texture
 Shape
 Presentation
 Install

TV monitors in Cafeterias
Highlight Photos of daily menu
options

Show sample tray choices

Provide Nutrition Education

Play Trivia Quizzes – Make it FUN




Place photos of serving sizes placed above food item
serve as a helpful guide
Utilize My Plate/My Tray
Tie your menu and nutrition education back to your
district’s Student Wellness Policy
Promote at Back to School Night Programs
 Display salad bar filled with actual daily choices
 Educate parents, families and community about
choices and portion requirements
 Provide
 Salad
to each school site lead
Bar selections consistent
 Planned
for maximum customer appeal

With the new Food Based Menu Planning



Every item offered on the salad bar must be listed and
accounted for separately on the Menu Production
Record (MPR)
No longer list the salad bar recipe number on MPR
Pre-print the salad bar MPR with most of required
information

Can be used to conduct your own nutrient
analysis

Helpful way to establish and provide
direction to site staff on daily set up of salad
bar choices

Critical to use historical data from MPR to
develop salad bar recipes and continually
update information based on student
consumption (usage study)

Definition:

The point at which you can determine if the
student took the required meal components for a
reimbursable meal

NOTE: Even if the student selected ½ cup of
fruit and/or vegetable with the entrée, the
student must still go by the salad bar line and be
offered all of the fruit and vegetable subgroups
of the meal

If the cashier is located before the salad bar,
a monitor must check the meal at the end of
the line to ensure that it is reimbursable.
The monitor can make the student take the ½
cup fruit and/or vegetable requirement.
 Place a bowl of fruit and boxes of
raisins/dried fruit at the end of the line.
 The monitor also helps ensure food safety.


If space is a concern, consider placing the
salad bar before the hot serving line.

Placing fruit and vegetable choices at the
beginning of the line encourages the
selection and consumption of more fruits
and vegetables.
Food Safety is our #1
priority.
 Ensure our food is safe
for our customers
 Reduce the risk of
food-borne illness
 Healthy customers =
Happy customers!

Supply clean utensils and dispensers
 Monitor salad bar during meal service
 Train staff on proper monitoring for food
components as well as food safety
 Post signs on salad bar etiquette
 Install hand sanitizing stations in cafeteria
 Dispose of leftovers properly, using your SOP
 If using time as a food safety measure rather
than temperature for your site, be sure to have
a SOP in place and use a time log to document

Wash hands before entering cafeteria or use
hand sanitizing station in cafeteria
 Stay behind the sneeze guard
 Do NOT touch the food with hands
 Do not come back for seconds with the same
tray (new tray each time)
 Take what you would like and only what
you can eat
 Do NOT return food to the salad bar


Use tongs and utensils correctly!
 Work with primary teachers
to send sets of pans, tongs
and utensils to classrooms so
students can practice
 Record video of proper use
of the salad bar and use as a
classroom teaching tool

Local

Interpretations of Food Codes and Regulations
may vary among local health departments

Best to work with your local health department
to find the solutions to your individual situations

Develop a positive working relationship; become
partners in providing the best for your customers

Federal

Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), USDA
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/produce-safety.htm
 FDA Food Code
 http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/RetailFoodProtection/Food
Code/FoodCode2009/ucm186451.htm


State

California Retail Food Code

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/documents/fdbRFC.pdf

Best Practices: Handling Fresh Produce in
Schools


http://nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20110
822025744.pdf
HACCP Based SOPs Preventing Contamination at Food Bars

http://sop.nfsmi.org/HACCPBasedSOPs/Preventi
ngContaminationatFoodBars.pdf





Provide locally grown, delicious,
fresh produce to students and staff
 In-season, regional,
specifically California
Partner with community
and showcase your
Child Nutrition Program
Strong support from USDA and CDE
Partner with farmers, farmer’s markets, local chefs, farming
cooperatives and other groups to help promote and serve
California produce
Helpful website:
http://www.healthyschoolenvironment.org/farmtoschool

SNA Meal Pattern Companion Guide


Network for a Healthy California


http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cpns/Pages/Powe
rPlayResources.aspx
Harvest of the Month


http://www.schoolnutrition.org/mealpattern
http://www.harvestofthemonth.cdph.ca.gov/
Recipes for Kids Challenge

http://www.recipesforkidschallenge.com/
Any Questions?