FSD This Week: Recent Episodes
FSD
A weekly snapshot of the latest noncommercial foodservice news, from the editors of FoodService Director.
Franceen Friefeld, RD, LD, Ph.Ed., CEO and board chair of The Foodservice Wellness Institute is a freelance wellness consultant, recognized thought leader, and innovator who has led the implementation of wellness programming in more than 6,000 foodservice establishments across North America.
She has seen a lot of changes in the hard-to-define space of wellness over her career. Growing up, her mother was a well-known dietitian who often tested her culinary creations on Franceen and friends, who were happy to try the results. Getting people to try healthier foods has been the essence of her mission, and now her house is the popular place in the neighborhood for the next generation, as she carries on that work. And of course, with so many foodservice operations, it’s not just her neighborhood she’s been able to change for the better. In this episode of the FSD podcast Onsite with FSD, we talk about the many different pieces to the wellness puzzle, especially facing the onsite food service community, from perceptions of health to fat-phobia and unrealistic body image to making plans that are truly holistic in furthering the wellness of those we serve.
When it comes to plant-forward fare at Fordham University, the dining team wants to make sure taste and flavor aren’t forgotten. In many ways, the plant-forward offerings at the university often mirror the meat-centric options. The idea behind that is making sure everybody feels included regardless of dietary restrictions, according to Andrew Bell, senior executive chef at the university who joined On-Site with FSD this week, along with Deming Yaun, dining contract liaison for Aramark at Fordham.
Listen as the two discuss the different aspects of the dining teams’ plant-forward strategy as well as diners’ response to sustainable dining initiatives.
They discuss Coolfood meals at the university and how it was diners themselves demanding low-carbon meals on campus, sparking the initiative.
They also speak on the campus’ hydroponic gardens, or micro-farms, and the work that goes into maintaining them.
On this episode of Onsite with FSD, FoodService Director's podcast, we learn about Thomas Cuisine, a company founded in 1986 on the principles of good, flavorful food for onsite dining. As the years went by, that emphasis has evolved to scratch-cooking as a source of community and healing, and the overall idea of food as medicine.
CEO Alison Patt started her career in the fine-dining and boutique-hotel arenas and found her way to onsite foodservice as her own life was changing and getting more challenging. She found that the foods she and her family were eating had a very real effect on them. From there, she’s sharing the power of food in her current role, making an impact in the worlds of B&I, healthcare, senior dining and school foodservice.
Director of Food and Nutrition Services Erin Primer has made local food a focus ever since she joined San Luis Coastal Unified School District in San Luis Obispo, Calif., eight years ago.
Each day in the cafeteria, students will find an array of local products including olive oil, fish and produce. Currently, 30% of the nutrition team’s food budget is spent with local farmers and suppliers.
Listen as Primer shares how she finds out about new community partners to work with, her tips for other school nutrition professionals looking to expand their farm-to-school program, and how she and her team are effectively marketing these local products and ingredients to students, parents, and others in the district community.
Scratch menus for healthcare dining and senior living used to be a pipe dream.
On this episode of Onsite with FSD, FoodService Director’s podcast, we’re tracing that dream to reality and then into what the future might hold.
Facing a world of meat and potatoes, Richard Schenkel made his mark as founder and CEO of Unidine Corporation and Compass Community Living. He had a hand in transforming the industry, and last fall, he launched Phoenix3 Holdings LLC, a strategic growth partners for elevating lifestyle and distributive services companies in senior living, health care and B&I dining operations.
Schenkel was thinking about food as medicine before most, and this caused a true disruption in the whole market. We ask him about how he is looking to the future, what that could hold and how else he can disrupt the status quo.
On this episode of FoodService Director's podcast Onsite with FSD, Chef Brandon Collins shares with us how bits and pieces of food that might be wasted in the kitchen can be transformed into trends, and better yet, trends with a conscience. Collins is Corporate Executive Chef, North America at Unilever Food Solutions, part of Unilever, of the world’s largest food manufacturers operating in 75 countries across the globe.
As chefs generally do, throughout his career Collins, a Culinary Institute of America (CIA) grad and former Sodexo employee, has seen firsthand how much food can be wasted, especially in big commercial kitchens that serve thousands of people every day. But here is also where the biggest opportunity to move the needle on food waste exists. The flip side of wasted food is turning it into something valuable, and making it a cool trend takes it that step further.
Tonya Granberry, supervisor at Belmont University Dining, has been with the university for 40 years. She started as a cook, worked her way to the cashier station and eventually became a supervisor.
Granberry is affectionally nicknamed by students as "Auntie T" and is known for her warm demeanor and friendly conversations. But what brings Granberry to work everyday? What inspired her to stay with one dining program in an industry known for turnover? Granberry joins us for On Site with FSD to discuss her experience at Belmont Dining.
Granberry is a hard worker who cares about the students she serves, but the most exciting thing about this conversation is the passion she exuded for her work.
Nazim Khan, CEC, executive chef at Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, has been a leading voice in healthcare dining, and by extension, food-as-medicine. He focuses on so many different projects, including a cookbook that’s in progress, but what’s so great is the way he brings education and community—both local and global—into his work.
FSD this Week is changing to.. Onsite with FSD!
FoodService Director editors Tara Fitzpatrick, Benita Gingerella and Reyna Estrada are bringing you fascinating conversations you can be a part of through their new weekly podcast, Onsite with FSD. Hear people-focused interviews with leading minds in the onsite foodservice industry, from chefs to directors to managers to cooks to marketing pros, farmers, growers, manufacturers and more.
Virginia House subcommittee kills universal free meals bill, new federal bill would require school nutrition staff to complete food allergy training, Maine universities host broccoli takeover event, Alaska Airlines transitions to paper cups, foodservice director is charged with stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings, Massachusetts supplemental budget includes universal free meals funding.
Grubhub is bringing a reusable containers program to campuses. Velvet Taco makes an appeal to college consumers. And the Big Apple looks to restrict what can be provided with diners to-go orders.
Elior North America makes some leadership changes, Cura Hospitality is helping seniors stick to their New Year’s resolutions and universal free meals legislation continues to gain traction around the country.
Falling chicken prices have given operators some reprieve, Sodexo Live has a new CEO for North America, and a New York City hospital system is putting plant-based dishes front and center. Universal free meals saw a lot of activity across the country.
Restaurant brand Jamba is bringing its smoothie robot to hospitals, sesame becomes the latest major food allergen recognized by the FDA, and Grubhub unveils the items its customers ordered most often last year.
Inflation slowed down in November, Chartwells K12 has named the top food trends for young students, and a new federal bill seeks to expand universal free meal access for kids across the country.
School meal debt is back on the menu, procurement struggles continue to plague operations, and some seniors are skipping meals due to the impacts of inflation.
Foodservice seeks to avoid a rail strike, the butter board trend shows no sign of slowing, and US Foods has named a new CEO.
Catering is seeing a comeback thanks to workers returning to offices, Subway brings smart fridges to campus, and travelers to Seattle can try a new virtual chicken concept.
Universal free meals get the go-ahead from Colorado voters, United Airlines is trying grab-and-go lounges, and we explore one school’s inspired solution to the labor shortage.
Metz Culinary Management introduces new menu items and programming for the K-12 segment, The University of Central Oklahoma launches an on-campus food recovery program, Chartwells K12 brings plant-forward meals to schools across the nation and Mississippi State hosts a guest chef pop-up.
SNA and other organizations ask for CEP expansion in upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill, Teamster Local 320 and the University of Minnesota reach a tentative agreement, build-your-own-poke bowls a hit at Broward County Public Schools, Chartwells Higher Ed to host second Joy-Ful event.
Service workers at the University of Minnesota have voted to authorize a strike, cafeteria staff at Los Angeles Unified School District are picketing for better wages, the Minnesota Timberwolves launch a 100% vegan concession stand and a new food-as- medicine program is coming to three Los Angeles Unified schools.
Wholesale food costs have started rising again, the White House invests in school kitchen equipment, and robots are putting down roots on more campuses.
Great ready for a brand new #podcast from FSD! 🎙 Join the editors of Foodservice Director as they talk about the industries top stories of the week.