Bread's A.M. Appeal

Amy Higgens

Terri Moreman, CFMP
Manager, Food Services
U.S. Olympic Committee
Colorado Springs, CO

"We offer a variety of breakfast breads including Banana (with and without nuts), Lemon Glazed Zucchini, and Pumpkin and Pumpkin Streusel. We're also serving a new line of breakfast breads— including bagels, muffins and lowfat pastries—from Oroweat, the official bread supplier of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. "These breads are rich in whole grains, fiber, minerals and vitamins, using healthy products like nonfat milk, egg yolks and whey.

"We are feeding athletes so all of our recipes have a healthful profile, however, our philosophy is 'no forbidden foods.' We believe everything has an appropriate place in the diet, it's just a matter of planning for it.

"For example, our athletes consume lots of carbohydrates to fuel their bodies with the quick energy they need for the average eight hours of training they do each day. So, we provide them with each menu item's nutritional information so they can make educated choices.

"In one day, we probably serve about 10 lbs. of made-from-scratch breakfast breads and about 30 lbs. of the Oroweat product line."

Ron Phillips
Supervisor Department of Food and Nutrition
Bradley Memorial Hospital
Southington, CT

"One of the biggest movers in our cafeteria is a topped biscuit (see recipe below). It's great finger food that's both convenient and tasty.

"Our chef takes a 2 oz. pre-made unbaked biscuit, proofs it and, using a clean measuring cup, creates a well in the biscuit top. He then drizzles in pasteurized egg product and tops that with any number of toppings and spices to create a variety of breakfast biscuits. Some of the most popular versions include Bacon, Egg and Cheese, Western (with peppers, onions and ham), and Southwestern (with Monterrey Jack cheese, salsa and cilantro.)

"Sometimes in the afternoon the chef even changes up the biscuits by filling them with apples and topping them with cinnamon. In fact, it's very rare for us to use a biscuit as a biscuit here."

Mary Bostic
Food Service Director
Tabor College
Hillsboro, KS

"The students here really enjoy our homemade Banana Bread (see recipe). It's nothing fancy, but they love it and we can't make enough of it to satisfy them. It's a great way to use up over-ripe bananas. We usually peel and freeze them until we have enough to make a couple of batches.

"Another favorite is the Cinnamon Rolls. They are a pre-made product that we just warm and serve but they are kind of a tradition here. Years ago they were sold only in the snack bar and often, when classes would break for discussion, the professors would order Cinnamon Rolls for the students. From there, students started asking for them in the cafeteria so we keep plenty on hand. Eventually I'd like our kitchen staff make Cinnamon Rolls from scratch."

Chris Eiseman
Executive Chef
Boston College

"We serve a different breakfast bread everyday-including Blueberry, Date Nut, Almond-Orange, Carrot, French Vanilla, Cranberry,-Banana, and Lemon. On average we go through about 25 to 30 loaves per day."

Beth Bowles
Retail/Catering Manager
Elkhart General Hospital
Elkhart, IN

"Our pastry chef, John Thompson, makes a CafÈ Coffeecake, which is a huge hit (see recipe). He also prepares the majority of our baked goods for both the retail and patient sides of the business.

"We also use some pre-made muffin mixes, such as Bran, Banana Nut, Blueberry and Apple Cinnamon, but we often adjust those ingredients to make them lower in fat for our patients."