1. Stick to simple recipes
When deciding which dishes to make, some schools have leaned on recipes with simple ingredients that most people would have in their pantry. “Not only does that make it easy for our audience to cook along at home, it also shows that simple, whole ingredients lead to really great cuisine, which is something we practice every day when preparing our menus,” says Jay Vetter, executive chef for Harvest Table Culinary Group at Elon University.
Operators are also paying attention to ingredient costs. At Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Bowling Green, Ohio, the dining team, which is managed by Chartwells Higher Ed, hosted a demo that taught students how to make a healthy meal for under $7.