Middle and high school students at Chandler Unified School District in California aren’t known for being big salad eaters. But add the word “protein” to the mix, says Food and Nutrition Department Director Wesley Delbridge, R.D., and they practically race to the cafeteria line.
“A year ago, the buzzword was ‘fresh’. Now, it’s ‘protein’,” Delbridge says. “It really speaks to secondary- level kids who want to build muscle and feel strong.”
To appeal to his aspiring fitness buffs, Delbridge offers several simple salads loaded with healthy proteins. The breaded chicken tender salad features whole-grain baked chicken tenders; kid-friendly vegetables such as grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, and sliced cucumber; and low-fat ranch dressing. The slightly more adventurous rainbow chicken salad contains shredded chicken, grapes and feta cheese and offers a bolder flavor from chili powder.
College students, many of whom have an eye on sustainability, are asking for more salads made with plant proteins such as beans or ancient grains.
“Students are talking about the environmental impact of beef production and the amount of food that we waste. That’s leading them to look for alternative protein sources,” says Jon Middleton, director of culinary operations at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. To meet those demands, he serves items like Quinoa and Golden Raisin Salad, Green Soybean and Corn Salad and Ful Medames, an Egyptian salad made with fava beans, fresh herbs, olive oil and lemon juice.
The culinary team makes up to 150 pounds of the protein-packed dishes every two to three days. “Once students recognize [these salads] as a good protein source and try it, it’s the flavor that sells it,” he says.
Salads made from high-protein grains are big sellers for Sal Cantalupo, corporate chef for Corporate Image Dining Services in Stamford, Ct. His Greek Wheatberry Salad is loaded with red bell pepper and grape tomatoes and seasoned with the Mediterranean-inspired flavors of feta, fresh lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Fans of farro, the trendy ancient grain, enjoy Cantalupo’s Farro Salad with dried cranberries, basil, parsley and cilantro.
Not everyone is interested in salads that ditch the meat entirely. “In composed salads at the salad bar, we’ll do a mixture of quinoa and flank steak or quinoa and shrimp,” says Damian Monticello, corporate hospitality services manager for Florida Blue in Jacksonville, Fla. Monticello adds that the high-protein dishes are especially popular around the New Year, when customers are looking to reverse the damage done from holiday overindulgence.