Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 29

ADDING SEASONAL VARIETY TO
YOUR MENU
1. Identify what seasonal items and cultural celebrations
are prevalent in your area and are important to your
patients, residents, and students.
2. Meet with your suppliers to see what is available for
seasonal products, and explore costs.
3. Look at ease of preparation and skillset of your team
with what is available.
4. Have your supplier show you the best way to prepare
and serve the seasonal items.
food budget by taking advantage of
what is fresh and local. Also important
is you will access the food when it is
at its peak freshness and nutritional
value.
Collaborate with your vendors to
know what is coming into season and
plan for these items on your menu by
integrating ingredients into entrees,
side dishes, spices used to flavor foods,
and desserts. Plan for all holidays and
celebrations from the various cultures
that are prevalent in your region, and
be sure to commemorate them using
authentic dishes. Collaborate with
your culinary teams to learn what is
important to them in their culture, and
what they may have access to, and have
fun creating the menus.
The ideal way to ensure that you have
the best seasonal variety is to work
with your supplier and develop a
calendar of what is available, identify
5. Work with your team on incorporating the items into
your menus.
6. Create communication with your facility to promote the
seasonal selections and the 'why' behind the menus.
(Menu transparency is always a plus.)
7. Highlight how the item is being served when it is on the
plate and in front of the guest.
8. Adjust the menu based on feedback from guests.
the costs for these products, and put
together menus with the various items
that will be abundant. We can even
look at what seasonal products are
available and add them to our regular
lineup, without having to create any
special menus.
SUMMING IT UP
Food is a celebration and a journey
in life. Food touches us through
every occasion, and gets us through
the good times, the bad times, and
teaches us the fundamentals of both
physical and emotional survival by
shaping our lives. In our foodservice
operations, it is important that
we try to help those that we care
for to recreate these memorable
milestones in life by giving them
the best possible experience we can
through serving seasonal food. E
TIMOTHY SCHOONMAKER, MBA, CEC, WCEC, CCA, CDM, CFPP, CHESP, FMP, MCFE
timothy.schoonmaker@mmhhs.com
Timothy Schoonmaker is Director of Nutrition Services for Manatee Healthcare System/UHS,
Bradenton, Fla., and is responsible for food safety & disaster planning.
NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 29

Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024

Top 10 Takeaways From the ANFP Compensation & Benefits Survey
Training Approaches to Strengthen Nutrition and Allergy Expertise Among Staff
The Brain Science Behind Comfort Foods
Understanding the CDM, CFPP Scope of Practice
Strategies for Success in the Hospitality Industry
Creating Seasonal Variety in Your Menu
Practice Self Health for Better Leadership
Let's Celebrate Our Hardworking Employees
Meet a CDM, CFPP
Foundation Focus
What CDM, CFPP Means to Me
CDM, CFPP Spotlights
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Cover1
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Cover2
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 1
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 2
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 3
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 4
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Top 10 Takeaways From the ANFP Compensation & Benefits Survey
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Training Approaches to Strengthen Nutrition and Allergy Expertise Among Staff
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 7
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 8
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 9
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 10
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 11
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - The Brain Science Behind Comfort Foods
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 13
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 14
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 15
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 16
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 17
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Understanding the CDM, CFPP Scope of Practice
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 19
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 20
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 21
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 22
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 23
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Strategies for Success in the Hospitality Industry
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 25
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 26
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 27
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Creating Seasonal Variety in Your Menu
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 29
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 30
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Practice Self Health for Better Leadership
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 32
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 33
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Let's Celebrate Our Hardworking Employees
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 35
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Meet a CDM, CFPP
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 37
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Foundation Focus
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 39
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 40
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 41
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 42
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - What CDM, CFPP Means to Me
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 44
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 45
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 46
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - CDM, CFPP Spotlights
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - 48
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Cover3
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2024 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/november-december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/september-october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/nutrition-foodservice-edge-magazine-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/May-June-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/March-April-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/nutrition-foodservice-edge-magazine-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/nutrition-foodservice-edge-magazine-november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/September-October-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/july-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/may-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/MarchApril2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/anfp/EdgeMagazine/nutrition-foodservice-edge-magazine-jan-feb-2021
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com