Providing School Meals in Challenging Times
In this time of crisis, schools are shut down indefinitely, but school districts and school cafeterias are stepping up in continuing to provide meals to children. This work is more important than ever, especially considering a healthy and nutritious school lunch may be the only meal a child receives each day. Responding to COVID-19 means online and technology solutions are being deployed to support teachers and students as they transition from the classroom to home. School nutrition software and cafeteria technology solutions can also help administrators track, report, and communicate new and alternative methods for staff and cafeteria workers to continue performing their important work of providing healthy, consistent meals to students each day.
Software solutions support the implementation, tracking, and communication of new sanitization and safety processes.
Every school, and in particular the cafeterias, kitchens, and food preparation areas, already adhere to sanitation rules and regulations set by local, state, and federal governments. Now, as we deal with COVID-19, it is of the utmost importance that new, more consistent, and more thorough sanitization processes are implemented and, more importantly, tracked and maintained.
Software and technology solutions allow for tracking sanitization processes, which enables everyone in the cafeteria to be on the same page on how they are following through on the new regulations, guidelines, and rules. These solutions also provide the much-needed and required reporting for the district, school board, and community on the health and safety of school cafeterias, kitchens, and food preparation areas.
The new school lunch is now grab-and-go lunches or meals-on-wheels.
It is more important than ever that schools continue to provide nutritious meals to students–but in an alternative method of distribution.
New approaches to menu planning and purchasing require digital solutions for ensuring that meals are as nutritious as possible–and that they can be made quickly, with the available ingredients, and distributed efficiently.
As disruptions in the supply chain occur, even the best-made plans need to be quickly altered and communicated throughout the school staff and administrators. With the right school nutrition solutions in place, alternative meal concepts and ingredients, new processes, purchases, inventories, and more, can be tracked and communicated so your employees can create workarounds to address supply and serving challenges.
Instantaneous communication and collaboration are available with the right software solutions.
The turnover of ingredients and meal items must be quick and communicated even faster than ever before. Also, the estimation of the number of grab-and-go lunches must be as precise as possible. Through school nutrition solutions, all of these variables can be tracked and communicated in and out of the cafeteria.
Through mobile apps, menu plans, and meal pick-ups can be communicated to adults and students. This can also provide an outlet for feedback, so while students aren’t personally in the cafeteria consuming items, frontline staff can know what is working and what isn’t as they make purchase decisions regarding meals. Also, via online applications, parents and adults can establish an account for meal purchases, so there is no cash exchange required. Best of all, families newly in need of free or reduced-price meals can securely apply and receive eligibility notifications for those programs online.
Implementing cafeteria software solutions is manageable with the right partner.
Maintaining nutritious meals for children while schools have indefinitely transitioned to home is a key piece of caring for students during this crisis. At Harris School Nutrition Solutions, everyone on our team is committed to supporting school districts, administration, frontline staff, families, and students as they manage their way through this COVID-19 pandemic. If you need assistance managing your cafeteria operations and serving students during this time, please contact us. Our entire team is here to help with whatever you need during this time.