Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2021 - 10

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that gardening interventions result in a small
but positive increase in fruit and vegetable
intake among children. Similarly, other
research has found benefits of gardening for
residents in long-term care, including decreased
levels of agitation among those with dementia.
Art and Appetizers
If you are working in a long-term care facility,
try bringing in a local artist who can do a
directed paint event with residents, while
serving some tasty appetizers. If you work
at a school, perhaps you can coordinate a
fundraising night with your PTA, offering the
" arts and apps night " to parents for a fee. Be
sure the ticketed cost covers the expenses for
the food, artist, and supplies, along with extra
to support fundraising efforts.
Holiday Events
From Halloween to Christmas to Hannukah,
holidays provide the perfect backdrop for a
creative foodservice event. For example, if
you work at a school, perhaps you team up
with a local farm to supply fresh pumpkins
in October. You can teach students about the
edible parts of the pumpkin, and demonstrate
how to roast pumpkin seeds (with sampling)!
For Thanksgiving, maybe your long-term care
facility teams up with a local school where
students can color in festive placemats with
messages for your residents. And of course, you
can serve a traditional turkey dinner with all
the fixings.
Pajama Party
It may seem silly, but pajama parties can be a
hit for kids and adults alike! Consider serving a
meal like " breakfast for dinner " if you plan this
as an evening event, or perhaps host this as a
special afternoon event with healthy appetizers
or fun snacks. You can also team up with other
staff to include activities as part of your party,
like dancing or a DIY photo station.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
There are few things more nostalgic for many
people than a good 'ol baseball game - so why
not incorporate it into your foodservice plans?
At your long-term care facility, you could
celebrate opening day with a " concessions "
table set up with classic baseball snacks (like
soft pretzels or popcorn) and use festive décor
throughout the dining room.
Or at your school, you might test out
nutritionally-elevated ways of serving stadium
classics, like a lower-sodium hot dog on a whole
wheat bun with pineapple salsa, or nachos
topped with shredded chicken, beans, and
loads of veggies.
The Big Game
Sticking with the sports theme, consider
celebrating the Super Bowl with a foodservice
event. Thirion describes how her school district
embraced this, stating " The event was held on
the Friday before the Super Bowl. The students
were very excited to see some of their 'fan
favorite' foods like buffalo wings as part of the
menu that day. Our staff wore shirts to support
their favorite teams, and our physical education
teachers helped us make a video that we played
in our cafeterias and on social media. We also
used the event to kick-off the contest for our
annual 'Breakfast with a Cleveland Browns
Player,' an event we do each March. "
Summer Picnic
Is there any better way to celebrate the warm
weather than a fun picnic? Bringing residents
or students outdoors is wonderful, but don't
let it deter you if that's not a possibility - you
can bring the picnic inside by using gingham
tablecloths or tray liners, and sprucing up a
communal dining area with fresh flowers. For
the menu, consider traditional picnic foods
like sandwiches, green salad, potato salad, and
watermelon slices.
10 NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | November-December 2021
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2021

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