Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2021 - 9

chrissy@snackinginsneakers.com
* Provides staff members with
an opportunity for team
building. Employees might
enjoy working together to
design a unique menu, or
gathering as a team to create
themed décor.
* Offers staff the chance to
further develop skills in
menu planning, cooking,
and presentation (all of
which are also important on
a daily basis).
* Showcases your facility's
culinary talents. In addition,
it also allows you to test
new recipes and concepts.
According to Dunnam, " If
you find that a particular
recipe is really well received
at an event, it may be wise
to have it on a menu at some
point on a more permanent
basis! "
CREATIVE IDEAS
Stumped about what type of
creative special events you
could offer? Here are nine
ideas:
Hawaiian Luau
Break out the leis, play some
traditional Hawaiian music,
and add festive palm tree and
pineapple table centerpieces
(quick tip: fresh pineapples
make great décor that can be
repurposed later in the week
at meals). Create a menu
that features delicious luau
food like Huli Huli chicken,
shredded pork, macaroni
salad, sweet potatoes, and
Hawaiian rolls.
vegetables and hummus, and
had students build their own.
We were able to show students
ingredients that they might
be unfamiliar with. Students
were encouraged to sample
along the way and to try new
things. "
Dunnam uses similar live
events in his work: " I really
like trying to incorporate
live action cooking when
possible. Events like " Sunday
Scramble " -where one
Live Cooking Demos
Let your audience get a
behind-the-scenes look at
your culinary expertise! Chef
Timothy S. Wright, CEC,
CDM, CFPP utilized this
idea for World Chef Day in
his position as Executive Chef
of Cleveland Metropolitan
School District.
Wright says, " I co-presented
with another chef from a
local food company for a
classroom of second and third
graders. We demonstrated
a Hummus Pita " Pizza "
with an assortment of fresh
Sunday each month you set up
a cart with eggs, vegetables,
diced proteins, etc. and then
cook custom scrambles to
order tableside-seem to be a
constant win. "
Gardening Club
Creating a farm-to-table
connection can be valuable
at any age. Schools or senior
living facilities can install
raised beds in an outdoor area,
invest in indoor hydroponic
equipment, or try inexpensive
windowsill herbs. Residents or
students who are interested in
being involved can help tend
HAWAIIAN LUAU
Break out the leis, Hawaiian music,
festive palm trees, and pineapples.
Luau fare may include Huli Huli
chicken, shredded pork, macaroni
salad, sweet potatoes, and
Hawaiian rolls.
the plants, which could later
be used in meal preparation.
The initial investment is
sometimes costly (in both
time and money), and the
initiative may require support
from other staff, but research
has shown numerous benefits
to this type of project. For
example, a 2017 review in
the Journal of the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics found
Continued on page 10
NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | November-December 2021 9
Chrissy Carroll, MPH,
RD is a registered
dietitian, freelance
writer, and brand
consultant based in
central Massachusetts.
Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - November/December 2021

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