5 things: Hospital’s “little free pantry” addresses community food insecurity

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

 1.    Hospital’s “little free pantry” addresses community food insecurity

It looks like one of those take-a-book, leave-a-book lending libraries that you might see around town, but the “Little Free Pantry” outside New London Hospital in New Hampshire is filled with canned goods, pasta and other food items. It’s part of an effort to address food insecurity in the area. People can stop by to take any food they need, or donate if they’re able.

Read more: New London Hospital aims to meet emergency food needs with ‘little free pantry’

 2.    Synchronizing school meals with DGA brings health benefits, study finds

Fully synchronizing school meals with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which call for meals with less sugar and salt and with more whole grains, could positively impact hundreds of thousands of children into their adulthood, with the added benefit of saving billions in lifetime medical costs, according to a Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy investigators report published recently in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. By modeling the national implementation of updated school lunch guidelines, the research team found even incomplete compliance by schools would lead to overall reductions in short- and long-term health issues for participating K-12 students.

Related:5 tech things: Colleges looking to automate dining in face of enrollment drop, study finds

Read more: School Meals Would Be Even Healthier if Compliant with U.S. Nutrition Standards, Study Finds

 3.    Legends to manage downtown Dallas food hall

The AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas has formed a partnership with Legends Hospitality, an FM Top 50 firm that operates concessions at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and at Yankee Stadium in New York. Legends will serve as the new management team overseeing The Exchange Hall, the 26,700-square-foot food hall that's a centerpiece of the downtown destination.

Read more: Jerry Jones' Legends Hospitality takes over AT&T's downtown Dallas food hall

 4.    Lessing’s acquires Catholic school cafeteria contract firm

FM Top 50 firm Lessing’s Hospitality Group has completed the purchase of Division Hospitality Group, which provides cafeteria services to 15 K-12 Catholic schools, mostly at the high school level, throughout Westchester, the Bronx and Queens in New York. Lessing's operates more than 115 catering and wedding venues, restaurants, and corporate and academic dining centers across the Northeast and Florida.

Related:5 things: Importance of healthy food options expected to drive hospital foodservice market growth

Read more: Lessing's Hospitality buys Westchester-based school lunch provider

 5.    Hochul to leave Delaware North

Delaware North has announced that Senior Vice President and General Counsel Bill Hochul will be leaving the company on Aug. 15. His role with the company has created several potential conflicts of interest for his wife, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, during her time in office, but she says they are in no way connected to his decision. Bill Hochul served as the U.S. Attorney for New York's Western District before moving on to Delaware North.

Read more: Gov. Hochul's husband leaving Delaware North

Bonus: Grab and go gets fresh and trendy at Rollins College

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]