December 22, 2011—What breakfast item would students most want to see prepared in a “dream kitchen” in their school cafeteria? Pancakes top the list, according to a survey of more than 2,000 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-graders who responded to a recent online Dream Kitchen® survey conducted by youth marketing firm Y-Pulse, LLC. Pancakes were selected as the favorite breakfast item over waffles by a 2-to-1 margin. Chocolate chip was the favorite flavor of the majority of respondents, followed by blueberry.
When it comes to toppings, about half of the pancake fans chose traditional maple syrup as their syrup variety of choice, followed by blueberry. A few respondents said that they would like “every kind” of syrup available, including such flavors as apricot, pineapple and strawberry.
Eggs—especially scrambled—was another popular breakfast item among the respondents, selected well ahead of cereal and rolls. Bacon was the most popular meat item in the survey. Indeed, respondents indicated they would like to have bacon on the menu not only for breakfast, but for lunch in menu items such as sandwiches, burgers and salads.
While the top wish list items were traditional breakfast favorites, the survey results also reveal that kids ages 8 to 11 are interested in bolder and ethnic flavors. Such results also demonstrate this generation’s food exposure and knowledge. For example, one respondent mentioned chorizo sausage as a breakfast burrito ingredient, while others said that they enjoy crêpes.
“Foodservice operators looking to improve their breakfast operations or best reach their patrons can deliver on some of those demands… with offerings that are classic in form yet presented in a way that relays freshness and taste,” says Sharon Olson, co-founder of Y-Pulse.
For more information about Y-Pulse, LLC, visit www.ypulse.org.
Y-Pulse, LLC
December 21, 2011—The first Love Your Veggies™ Lunch Break for Schools fundraising event takes place February 27-March 2, 2012, in cities across the United States. Chefs of all industry segments are invited to participate in this week-long fundraiser that is being hosted in partnership with the makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings. Proceeds will help promote healthy eating habits and proper nutrition for children through the Chefs Move to Schools program.
School nutrition operations are encouraged to prepare lunches to sell as a fundraiser to adults in the community. The meal must include a Hidden Valley Ranch product, to be provided by Hidden Valley. Participating operations are asked to create a lunch inspired by the White House guidelines for the Chefs Move to Schools initiative that includes whole grains, lowfat dairy products, low salt and sugar and fresh produce.
Adults who can help extend the American Culinary Federation’s work to teach kids healthy habits and further fund the effort to help kids learn to make healthy choices are the suggested audience for the fundraiser. Celebrity chef Cat Cora serves as the national spokesperson for the fundraising campaign, so you might consider mentioning this connection in your promotional materials to help draw adults in your community to your event.
Schools interested in participating can register at www.acfchefs.org/ACFSource/LunchBreakForSchools/index.aspx. The suggested registration deadline is January 15, 2012.
For more information, including details about how funds will be collected, visit www.acfchefs.org/ACFSource/LunchBreakForSchools/index.aspx.
Love Your Veggies Lunch Break for Schools