Metz Culinary Management is rolling out 40 new recipes to its K-12 audience this fall as part of a new “stealth nutrition” initiative to encourage students to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
The program aims to incorporate healthy ingredients into meals that students will find both visually appealing and tasty. The new recipes include spaghetti made from spaghetti squash, brownies made with black beans and more.
Metz plans to serve one new entree or side daily at participating schools.
“Stealth nutrition is all about finding a long-term balance between introducing students to healthy vegetables, fruits and whole grains that they may not have tried and repeating their exposure to them,” Madison Wurst, nutrition educator and corporate dietitian at Metz, said in a statement. “We’re empowering students with a lifelong appreciation for healthier eating which leads to improved overall health and well-being.”
The foodservice provider also encourages students to try new foods through special activities, including a "fear factor" tasting event where students are blindfolded and encouraged to touch and taste fruits and vegetables that are unfamiliar to them.
Health and wellness has become a larger focus in K-12 foodservice in recent years, with operators leaning into more plant-based proteins and scratch-made fare. The USDA last fall launched a $100 million initiative aimed to address staffing and equipment issues, as well as rising food costs, that might get in the way of school teams providing more nutritious meals.