I attended the Colorado School Nutrition Association annual meeting this week, where I joined approximately 140 other food companies on the show floor, showcasing our products to help feed the over 30 million children who eat school lunch every day in America.

I was among the few companies representing whole food products, offering locally grown beef, pinto beans, and black beans on my suggested menu. In contrast, many booths featured frozen pizza, french fries, fried chicken nuggets, and other processed foods. Seeing so many ultra-processed foods presented as "good nutrition" was disheartening. The sheer amount of carbs and sugars we feed our children is alarming. Food companies cleverly bypass regulations by adding sugars from natural fruits and fruit juices, resulting in sweet drinks, smoothies, snacks, and sides that kids love.

However, there is good news! One breakout session at the conference focused on returning to scratch cooking in schools using whole foods. Nutritionists from the Chef Ann Foundation presented their "Get Schools Cooking" program, designed to help schools transition to scratch cooking. You can learn more about this initiative here.

While working my booth and speaking with attendees from various school districts, I learned about the challenges they face in transitioning to scratch cooking. Staffing, limited prep times, proper equipment, and food costs are the top hurdles. It's no secret that heat-and-serve ultra-processed foods are easier to prepare, cost less, and have become the norm for feeding children.

Despite this, many dietitians, nutritionists, chefs, and line cooks at the conference expressed a genuine desire to shift towards scratch cooking with fresh, wholesome foods. This transition will be gradual, requiring baby steps each year, but it is achievable, as demonstrated by some districts at the conference.

If you sell whole foods like raw meat products and haven’t approached school districts in your state, now is the time to do so. Many districts are exploring how to cook raw or minimally processed meats with few ingredients and no preservatives. While the transition to more nutritionally dense whole foods will take years for most districts, now is the time to start collaborating as they navigate this change.

Everyone in the food industry should familiarize themselves with the Chef Ann Foundation. Based in Boulder, Colo., the foundation works nationwide to help school districts plan and implement scratch cooking.

Reflecting on my experience as an exchange student in Japan, I remember how all the meals served in the high school cafeteria were prepared daily from scratch by a small, efficient staff. The food was delicious and made fresh daily with local ingredients. There was very little food waste and the students worked in the kitchen as well, on a rotational bases, to help with prep and serving. We also had to clean our school at the end of each day, but that’s another topic.

Currently, I have an exchange student from Spain living with my family. In Spain, students get 90 minutes for lunch, allowing them to go home or enjoy a mostly scratch-cooked meal at school. They are not rushed and must finish their entire plate; otherwise, they must sit with kindergarteners to complete their meal, a situation no one wants to face due to the embarrassment. Not sure if this is a good practice or not, but it is effective in eliminating food waste.

Let's work within our communities to encourage schools to return to scratch cooking and find solutions to the challenges they face.

Reviving Scratch Cooking in Schools

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