In the pink?

Artificial color is fighting a losing battle, with manufacturers and restaurants dropping added flavoring and color from some of their products. But with a nation of kids accustomed to neon-orange mac and cheese, how can K-12 operators bring more visual appeal to the plate?

There’s plenty of bright produce to be had, though operators are struggling to get it on kids’ trays. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act requires that students take a half-cup of fruit or vegetables with their lunches in order for schools to receive federal funding—whether the kids want to eat it or not.

Julia Bauscher, the director of school and community nutrition services for Jefferson County Public School system in Louisville, Ky., and president of the School Nutrition Association, is an advocate of letting student diners chose their fruits and vegetables rather than forcing a particular item on them.

“If children serve themselves, often they’re more likely to eat it,” she said during a session on healthy kids’ menus at the National Restaurant Association show in May. That’s why more and more districts are implementing salad bars as an easy way to present the most produce.

Here are some other ideas from Bauscher’s talk, as well as tips from Bill Scepansky, chef/owner of nutrition consulting firm Smart Partners in Lancaster, Penn., for making colorful produce a cafeteria star.

How does your lunch grow?

While school gardens require partnerships with both the community and the school district, Bauscher says she’s seen districts that have been able to provide a significant amount of produce for their programs. Plus, there are the hands-on benefits: “If kids grow it, they’re more likely to eat it,” she says.

Familiar vegetables, new colors

With the re-emergence of heirloom varietals, operators can look to red, yellow, purple and white carrots instead of orange, each with their own set of nutrients. “[You’re] making something very colorful yet not increasing any added skill set required to prepare the dish that they’re already making with the regular carrot,” Scepansky says. Heirloom varietals easily can be grown from seed in school gardens to reduce the cost of sourcing.

Don’t hide it

The prospect of trying something new and interesting can be exciting for kids, Scepansky says. If a turnip or the rutabaga is cut into a stick and served next to everybody’s favorite carrot stick or a nutritious dipping sauce, he says, kids may be more willing to try it. Proper signage and a positive message also can go a long way toward getting something different on their trays.

Proper preparation

It’s easy to ruin unfamiliar produce with improper cooking, Scepansky says. “How do you take this rainbow Swiss chard, which is beautiful and it looks like Disneyland, [and] utilize the entire plant cost-effectively and in a way that the kids are going to like it?” he says. Therefore, it’s important to learn the correct way to prepare each product so that colors and textures are elevated without overdoing the added flavors.

Ask your customers

Kids are the ones who have to eat school meals—why not get their feedback through student advisory councils? “I don’t know of too many districts who don’t convene students to provide input for their school menus and to try items that the director would like to offer on the menu,” Bauscher says.

Use the full rainbow

Produce isn’t the only answer to the color equation. For example, “Red quinoa is kind of like purplish black and [there’s] not a whole lot going on there,” Scepansky says. “But all of a sudden you put a little carrot and kale in there, and now it looks great.”