Restaurant equipment and better chefs can help make school lunches a bit better for all
There has been a lot of discussion about a growing obesity problem in the United States, especially where children are concerned. While there have been many attempts to counteract this, some of the more successful ones have come through reform in school meals.
Most schools in the country provide students with the opportunity to purchase lunch within school walls, and some even offer breakfast options to make up for the early start schools have. For a long time, school lunches consisted of pizza, french fries or any variety of other high-fat, low-nutrition offerings. More recently, however, schools have begun taking steps to rectify this oversight by providing healthier lunch options for their students.
Upgrading school kitchens could also be useful in that regard. With the proper restaurant equipment, creating these healthy lunches is an easier proposition. The use of proper commercial equipment would make dishes like roasted chicken as easy as fried chicken. The proper equipment can do wonders for variety in the kitchen and, with more options, the movement away from the old "fried food is king" mentality will be complete.
Some schools have taken this a step further, and have begun hiring professional chefs to oversee their kitchens. The United States Department of Agriculture has instituted a program called Chefs Move to Schools. This program is an attempt to get both parents and students involved in eating better. These chefs' responsibilities consist of going through school lunch menus and finding healthy alternatives to give the children more choice and the ability to make themselves more healthy.
Having the chefs properly train the current kitchen staff would also be a great help, as knowing the most efficient way to do things in a quality kitchen requires a good staff in addition to professional restaurant equipment. If the kitchen staff is properly trained on both cooking technique and the safe use of commercial ovens and commercial ranges, they'll have a much easier time making healthier and better tasting foods for the students.
Educational cooking and nutrition seminars are also a valuable service these professionals can provide. By providing instruction on healthy food alternatives to students and their parents, they can help encourage them to make healthier and more nutritious meals at home as well.