FSD Quarterly | Q2 2026

ZIP, ZAP, ZING! FROM PASSIONFRUIT TO PINEAPPLE, TROPICAL FRUITS IN DESSERTS WILL WAKE UP YOUR MENU P. 20

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AI IN COLLEGE DINING P. 6

GLOBAL FLAVORS FROM THE CHEFS IMMERSION P. 12 COULD PEANUTS RETURN TO K-12? P. 14

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR TARA FITZPATRICK SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR FOODSERVICE DIRECTOR | INFORMA CONNECT

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

K12

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

CHARTWELLS HIGHER EDUCATION LAUNCHES BLUEPRINT EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR

NEXT UP PODCAST By NxtGen Network THE POWER OF US By Lesley Graham

CAMPUS DINING By Benita Gingerella

RAMADAN AND EID-AL FITR FOOD RENEWS THE HALAL-COLLEGE DINING CONNECTION By Tara Fitzpatrick 6 GLOBALLY INSPIRED DISHES THAT CAME OUT OF FSD’S 2026 BIG TEN CONFERENCE CHEFS IMMERSION By Benita Gingerella

NEWS

NEW WORKPLACE EATING DATA FINDS EMPLOYEES AND DECISION-MAKERS AT A CROSSROADS OVER LUNCH By Tara Fitzpatrick MAINE DOE FARM-TO-SCHOOL COOK-OFF SHOWCASES LOCAL BLUEBERRIES AND BEEF IN SCHOOL MEALS By Benita Gingerella

OPERATIONS

COULD A PEANUT-AWARE POLICY IN SCHOOLS WORK BETTER THAN A BAN? By Tara Fitzpatrick

FOOD & BEVERAGE TRENDS

MY SIGNATURE DISH: CIOPPINO By Tara Fitzpatrick

COVER STORY

TROPICAL FRUIT DESSERTS WITH THE ‘ZIP, ZAP, ZING!” By Liz Grossman

RECIPE REPORT: THESE CARROT DISHES ARE TOPS By Tara Fitzpatrick

SENIOR DINING

RE-SETTING THE TABLE: HOW RESTAURA REBUILT DINING AT THE SEABROOK OF HILTON HEAD By Julianne Pepitone

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARWELLS HIGHER ED

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Chartwells Higher Education launches BLUEPRINT evaluation framework for campus dining The three-tier evaluation framework uses in-depth data and analytics to provide a roadmap for campus dining programs to improve student satisfaction and program performace.

C hartwells Higher Education is digging into the data to help dining teams across the country enhance their pro- grams. The foodservice pro- vider announced the official launch of BLUEPRINT, an evaluation framework that uses in-depth data and analytics to provide campus dining programs with a roadmap to improve student satisfaction and program performance. The goal of BLUEPRINT is to help din- ing teams “uncover opportunities,” says Chartwells Higher Education’s VP of Insights Janelle Craft. “So maybe areas that could use additional food services, or maybe it’s an area that is really pop- ular at a certain day part, like it’s a late- night area, so what can we do there?” BLUEPRINT is built around three tiers that allow campuses to tailor the frame- work based on their individual needs. The most comprehensive tier involves a full campus study and focuses on long-term goals; the middle tier is more focused and homes in on things like a dining hall renovation, and the final tier focuses on short term, specific program changes. Data is at the core of whatever tier a campus chooses, and the Chartwells Higher Education team uses a variety of analytics to determine their recommen- dations, including student traffic pat - terns, consumer preferences and insights, sales performance, campus master plans and even the different hubs on campus. “Often, you’ll find there’s like an ac - ademic core, there’s like a social hub, there’s residential areas,” says Craft. “And so, we look at all of that, and fac- BY BENITA GINGERELLA

says Craft, adding that they saw “some increases in satisfaction scores at Florida, when some of it was initially rolled out.” It’s still a little early to “real- ize all the results,” says Craft, so the team will continue to monitor out- comes from the pilot as time goes on. As the needs of today’s college students are constantly evolving, Craft feels that the data-driven guid- ance offered by BLUEPRINT will be key to helping Chartwells teams at schools across the country stay up to date on what students expect from the dining options on campus. “We have our Gen Z students today, we’re looking at Gen Alpha coming up, and, they continuously want really per- sonalized experiences, and they want lo- cations and brands that really resonate with them and reflect their values and who they are,” she says.“[BLUEPRINT] is really helping us to understand what the students are looking for, and even get a little bit of a glimpse into what’s to come and the way that they like to move and interact with campus.”

tor all of that into our overall analysis.” When it comes to analyzing con- sumer preferences, the team relies heavily on its annual Campus Dining Index, which had over 100,000 respons- es this year, as well as focus groups that take place every spring semester. Along with analyzing data behind a screen, subject matter experts (SME) visit campus to conduct on-site visits and gain a deeper understanding of the school and its students. Once all the data is in and the SMEs have done their visit, they present their findings to campus of - ficials and make their recommendations. “We walk through it togeth- er and answer questions, and at the end of the day, come togeth- er on one direction,” says Craft. BLUEPRINT has been piloted at the University of Florida where it has been met with positive feedback so far. “We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from our partners as well as our inter- nal team members through the process,”

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COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

T he dining director at UC Berkeley, Christopher R. Henning, decided to use data and analytics to make the dining team a more meaningful part of campus culture. “This year, we have leaned into our event menu development and have tried to mirror the celebrations that Berkeley campus as a whole recognizes,” Henning says. The team worked with food trend think tank Datassential on menu ideation and nutrition consultants Menu Analytics on recipe development. Henning keeps a detailed planning document for special times throughout the year, like Ramadan, that the dining team wants to be a part of. The document had all the info on Ramadan Welcome Meal and Eid-al Fitr (which means “break the fast” and comes at the end of Ramadan, determined by the moon’s path.) The welcome meal included masala cauliflower soup, entrees of salmon with olive tapenade, herb-roasted leg of lamb, veggie paella and sides of falafel, roasted garlic potatoes and pita. Also found at the meal: chicken shawarma or Mediterranean hummus wraps, pasta with caramelized onions and brussels sprouts. Dessert was baklava.

Ramadan and Eid-al Fitr food renews the halal-college dining connection By the time the fast was broken this year, college dining was left with new inspiration for standout halal snacks, entrees, sides and fresh flavors all year long.

BY TARA FITZPATRICK

QUARTERLY | Q2

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UC BERKELEY DINING

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITY

“We try to have all recipes solidified at least a month in advance, but this is a reset year for us, so it tends to be a work in progress at times,” Henning says. Another work in progress that’s won over college campuses exponentially over the last decade is Halal Shack, the concept that got off the ground when its founder Jamal Rasoully was still in college himself. Soon, he was serving those who want halal food and also helping college students who previously didn’t know falafel from tabbouli learn about how delicious halal food, especially by way of NYC chicken-and-rice cart inspo, could be. When we first met Rasoully he was a young entrepreneur fresh out of SUNY Albany back in 2017, as he was getting the concept out of his head and into the world. We’ve followed along with him over the years. Now, with Halal Shack locations on college campuses in 22 states and counting, halal food is more accessible than ever for college communities. Last fall, we saw how halal food is a strong part of the Pittsburgh community, reinforced by Abdullah Salem’s connection with the dining program at Carnegie Mellon University, through his gathering spot, Scotty’s Market, which offers fresh halal food, a grocery store and a cozy place to hang out for students. HALAL FOOD FITS IN SO WELL WITH CAMPUS LIFE One way halal food mirrors modern campus dining is the focus on snackable, shareable, grab-and-go foods with Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and North African influences and a bit of Indian food, as well, all elements that college students love. The built- in transparency of halal food is also a draw, for populations beyond college campuses. The rise in demand for halal products has boosted the global halal industry, which is only growing as more consumers care about ethical sourcing, clean ingredients and whole foods. The dining team at UC Berkeley

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COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

started with a kickoff meal and provided carryout options during fasting. Students got a specially made bag packed up with overnight oats, vegan wraps with roasted veggies and hummus, fruit and energy bites made with seeds and dried fruit. Meals were also available for carryout if they chose. UC Berkeley’s Henning called the Eid- al Fitr event a “capstone celebration,” and the feast did a good job of solidifying this “reset year” of getting more in tune with campus celebrations and important days and weeks. The menu for Eid-al Fitr at UC Berkeley was brimming with rich, lively flavors. Entrees were hearty: braised lamb with dates, chickpea and vegetable tagine and chicken kabsa, Saudi-style spiced chicken simmered with tomatoes, onions and aromatics, finished in the oven and served with traditional kabsa spices (turmeric, coriander, black peppercorns, black cardamom pod, ginger, fennel seed and more). ‘IT SHOWS THAT WE CARE FOR OUR STUDENTS’ Last fall, East Village Dining Commons at Baylor University introduced halal chicken to the menu. This was a response after students had been asking for a long time for halal chicken. It turns out halal food isn’t exactly found on every corner in Waco, Texas. Baylor Eats, powered by Chartwells Higher Education, launched the chicken in a successful pilot program that grew into halal options abounding throughout the dining commons. When it was time for the Eid-al Fitr celebrations, Baylor Eats was ready to provide a meal to remember. The menu included chicken with spicy yogurt curry, spiced yellow basmati rice, spinach with peas and potatoes, crispy onion and potato pakora with cilantro- mint chutney, cold kachumber (Indian salad of finely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and spices). Sparkling mint lemonade and gulab jamun (fried milk bread soaked in rose cardamom syrup) rounded out and sweetened up

the menu. “It shows that we care for our students; it doesn’t matter what religion or ethnicity they are,” says Kaylynn Hartz, sous chef at Baylor Eats. “Especially during culturally significant holidays like Eid-al Fitr, we want them to feel loved. And we do that through food.”

QUARTERLY | Q2

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARTWELLS HIGHER ED

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COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

T his week, FoodService Director held its 2026 Big Ten Conference Chefs Immersion at the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign. One of the highlights of the event is the Culinary Exchange, where the chefs split up into teams and prepare dishes using products from the event’s culinary sponsors, Custom Culinary, Irresistible Food Group, J.T.M. Food Group, Mountaire Farms, Simplot and 50CUT, and pantry sponsors, Rastelli’s, Hormel Foods, and Lactalis. This year, the chefs took inspiration from around the world during each of the Culinary Exchange’s six rounds. Here are six globally inspired dishes that came out of the exchange. 6 globally inspired dishes that came out of FSD’s 2026 Big Ten Conference Chefs Immersion During the Culinary Exchange portion of the event, the chefs split up into teams and prepared a variety of global dishes using products from the event’s sponsors. BY BENITA GINGERELLA

MURGH MALAI TIKKA During the first round, the Yellow Team, made up of Chef Eliot Norris from the University of Washington, Chef Byron Scott from the University of Maryland and Chef Bryan Latz from Michigan State University, prepared Murgh Malai tikka, an Indian appetizer that features marinated chicken. The chicken was rubbed with fresh ginger, garlic and chilies and then marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, cumin. It was cooked on a flat top and then served with garlic naan, sliced red onion, lime, a little bit of herbs. KOREAN FRIED CORN DOG The Purple Team (Chef Justin Anderson from the University of Minnesota and Chef Edward Rodriguez from the University of Southern California) took inspiration from Korean street food and prepared Korean Fried Corn Dog during the second round. The dish featured a spam dog rolled in bread crumbs, fried and then topped with cheddar cheese kimchi, ketchup, a drizzle of mustard and jalapeno.

BIRRIA SMASHED TACO Later on in the day, the Orange Team, made up of Chef Aaron Davis from Purdue University and Chef Michael Graham from the University of Iowa, decided to prepare Birria Smashed Tacos. The tacos featured an Italian sausage base topped with fresh cabbage, cilantro, cumin slaw and salty goat cheese. Birria broth was served on the side for dipping.

QUARTERLY | Q2

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITY

5 4

FLAUTAS WITH KILLER MOLE Rolled and pressed Kings Hawaiian buns took the place of a traditional tortilla in the Blue Team’s (Chef Mark Kowalski from Pennsylvania State University, Chef Eric Bueno from Indiana University and Chef Crystol Smith from the University of Illinois) Flautas with “Killer” Mole dish. The Flautas were filled with beef and cheese and the mole included golden raisins, almonds, sesame, and brownies. MEATBALL TIKKA MASALA BOWL The Green Team, made up of Chef Demetrios Kyprianos at Northwestern University and Chef Luis Segueda at Michigan State University, leaned into comfort food with their Meatball Tikka Masala Bowl. The meatballs were flavored with dry coriander, ginger, salt, pepper, garlic and turmeric, and then seared them in a pan. For the sauce, the team combined yogurt and vinegar with some spices and then topped the dish off with some pickled onions. NON-CANADIAN POUTINE The Pink Team, made up of Chef Ryan Berlin from The Ohio State University and Chef Soohwa Yu from the University of Illinois, put their own spin on Canadian Poutine during one of the rounds. Tater squares formed the base of the dish which was then topped with a red pepper relish, arugula, avocado, crema and pickled cucumbers.

QUARTERLY | Q2

OPERATIONS

Could a peanut-aware policy in schools work better than a ban? Research and best practices are key for K-12 foodservice professionals finding that peanut awareness means seeking a balance between banning and planning, while keeping safety at the forefront.

T here are a couple of things foodservice professionals who feed kids know for sure: Keeping kids safe is a responsibility they take very seriously, and that there’s rarely a “one size fits all” solution to challenges that come up. One big challenge is peanut allergies. For some time now, many schools reacted to peanut allergies by banning peanuts altogether. Problem solved, right? Well, not really at all. Recently, research from scientists, doctors and dietitians has been showing that a peanut ban may actually be the less safe option. Plus, there’s more of a sense of urgency now. The Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act was signed into law nationally few months ago, making it a requirement for USDA BY TARA FITZPATRICK

reactions, only some redness and irritation on the skin for some. In recent years, allergists have documents placing peanut butter in close proximity to peanut allergic patients to show them that just being near it doesn’t cause anaphylaxis. Peanut bans do not work , according to quite a few studies. In a study of 567 food allergy reactions in a Canadian pediatric cohort, 4.9% of reactions occurred in “peanut-free” schools compared to 3% in schools that allow peanut foods. Authors of this study and other studies say banning peanuts may produce a “false sense of security.” This doesn’t translate to any situation in the world at large, potentially leaving peanut-allergic kids unprepared since they can’t just live in a bubble forever. The National Peanut Board, which

foodservice personnel to receive training on preventing, identifying and responding to food allergies. Different school districts are trying different approaches and there’s a lot we can learn from their experiences. There are also lots of resources available from reliable sources, and they’re linked throughout this article along with Casual contact poses an extremely low risk for anaphylaxis. (Anaphylaxis is a big part of what makes peanut allergies so scary to many people: In layman’s terms, throats can close up.) A study of 30 peanut allergic children who smelled peanut butter for 10 minutes resulted in zero reactions. Skin contact in the study also resulted in zero life-threatening studies mentioned. THE RESEARCH

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OPERATIONS

policies are essential to achieving both. “For too long, many districts have defaulted to eliminating peanuts entirely,” Urban writes. “While well- intentioned, this approach is often unsupported by research and can lead to unintended consequences.” The SFR guide lays out the differences between the peanut-aware and the peanut-free approaches: The peanut- free approach is often inconsistent and unenforceable while giving that false sense of security. And cross-contact can still occur, making things worse if there are no protocols in place. Conversely, a peanut-aware approach allows for transparency and with training, everyone is truly prepared to manage risk in real-world environments. A peanut-aware policy relies on education, preparation and communication, a move from fear- based restriction to evidence-based management. For this to work, training for everyone in the school community is essential. That means every staff member from kitchen crew to classroom

aides. Principals, bus drivers, school nurses and teachers also need to be on the same page. A successful peanut- aware policy also means transparent communication with parents, caregivers and other stakeholders in the school community. Food allergy self-management for the students who are allergic to peanuts has been part of research, too. The experts at Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) have found that different grade levels should have different expectations. For elementary schoolers in grades K-5, most students with food allergies can tell people what they’re allergic to and follow simple safety rules like handwashing. Middle schoolers (grades 6-8) can follow safety rules and understand dietary restrictions, check food labels for themselves and recognize symptoms of allergic reactions. For high schoolers, they can do all those things and also be more involved in the development of their own food allergy management plan.

offers resources for school food pros, emphasizes keeping students safe, “but removing peanuts from menus isn’t the solution. … By following best practices, schools can safely reintroduce peanuts and ensure inclusivity for all students.” When peanuts are banned, the data shows that the ban doesn’t reduce the use of epinephrine (epi pens) in schools. A study of schools in Massachusetts that restricted peanut foods being brought from home and served in the cafeteria or classroom did not reduce the use of epi pens comparted to schools that did not have peanut-free policies. Peanut aware vs. peanut free: Joe Urban, founder and CEO of School Food Rocks (SFR), is a veteran school food professional (a school food rockstar, if you will) with years and years of experience in K-12. He’s in favor of peanut awareness in schools. His organization put together a peanut awareness guide created to empower schools with the knowledge that student safety and nutrition excellence can and should coexist, and that science-backed

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OPERATIONS

personal experience with food allergies. A few years ago, a tick bite caused her to develop Alpha-Gal syndrome, an allergy to mammalian products that’s only now starting to get national attention. “Because of my own food allergy experience with complex, I tend to see [peanut allergy management] more broadly as something people often underestimate until it affects them personally,” Warren says. “Food allergies need to be taken seriously and they are not about ‘food preferences;’ they are about health, safety, trust and whether someone can participate fully in everyday life without constantly calculating risks.” As a devoted mom, Warren understands teens’ mindsets, too. “For students, the burden is not only physical, but also psychosocial,” she says. “When a child has to wonder whether a classroom celebration is safe, whether adults will take their allergy seriously, or whether they’ll be singled out or excluded, it can create anxiety, isolation and a lasting sense that they do not fully belong. Schools have a responsibility to not only protect students’ physical safety, but also to nurture their emotional wellbeing.” Warren’s district is peanut aware for the older grades and peanut free for the younger grades. “I decided not to serve peanut products in pre-K and elementary schools,” she says. “That approach made the most sense to me because the younger children are the least able to read labels, recognize symptoms or advocate for themselves in the moment. To me, protections should be developmentally appropriate rather than one-size-fits- all.” In an ideal world, Warren says, “schools would use a layered, practical approach: annual, high-quality staff training, clear communication with families; allergy-aware classroom and cafeteria practices; no shaming or singling kids out; individualized plans when needed and quick access to epinephrine.”

Transparency can be achieved in a few ways, including things school food teams may already be doing, like publishing menus. INSIGHTS FROM THE BEHIND THE CAFETERIA LINE Plan, don’t ban: Executive Chef Jason Tepper of Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia is in favor of serving peanuts in a safe way in schools. Currently at his district, individually wrapped peanut items are available, but Tepper would like to be able to do something like make homemade peanut butter for the kids. He thinks a “plan, don’t ban” mindset is the best route. “Thoughtful protocols and communication are the keys to protecting students,” Tepper says. “School cafeterias already manage multiple allergens every day. Dairy, eggs, wheat, soy and other allergens are present in school meals constantly. In fact, in many districts more students are allergic to dairy than peanuts, yet dairy remains a core part of school meals because we manage it carefully. This highlights an important reality: Allergen management systems allow us to safely serve a variety of foods without needing to eliminate entire food groups.”

Tepper calls peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches “one of the original comfort foods for students,” and he has other reasons for being pro-peanut. “Peanuts themselves offer important benefits for school nutrition programs (high-quality plant protein, rich in healthy fats and nutrients, shelf- stable, affordable and versatile),” he says. “Peanuts also support American agriculture. Farmers across states like Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and Texas produce high-quality peanuts that supply food manufacturers and school meal programs nationwide.” Tepper says he believes one day it might even be possible to bring peanut grinders into schools, “like the ones that were once common in grocery stores. Many people remember hearing those machines grinding roasted peanuts into fresh peanut butter. I remember shopping with my mother and hearing that grinder humming in the store. By the time we got home, the peanut butter was still warm. It’s a memory that’s stayed with me for more than half a century.” Caution on underestimating risks: In another Virginia school district, Staunton City Schools, Director of School Nutrition Amanda Warren has

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This is a design you can download from FARE

Warren requires that all of her school nutrition teams are trains in CPR/First Aid, food allergy response and food safety. “We practice continuous training throughout the year,” she says. “The goal should always be both safety and inclusion.” BEST PRACTICES Food Allergy Management in Schools (FAMS): Expert Recommendations for K-12 is free-to-download guide from FARE including suggestions that are evidence-based and practical and written for the whole school community, not just the foodservice team. School Food Rocks’ guide outlines similar best practices, which fall under a few main areas including training, com- munication, cafeteria design, emergency preparedness and team coordination/ cross-department training. Training is the foundation for safety. Everyone should understand food allergies vs. intolerance, be able

to recognize a reaction, how to use an epi pen/emergency protocol and food safety. The School Nutrition Association offers training modules on these areas. Parent and stakeholder communi- cation begins and ends with transparen- cy. Share your peanut-aware policy be- fore putting it into action and reinforce the plan with printed handouts and dig- ital messages and parent letters. Get the school nurses in on every step of this. Ellen Eichenbaum, lead RD with Menu Analytics, a nutrition consultancy, recommends using available platforms, like Nutrislice, to help share all the info. “Menu Analytics strongly encourages schools to provide food allergy transparency by publishing weekly or monthly menus that include allergen information,” Eichenbaum says. “Schools can easily share online through platforms like Nutrislice making this critical information accessible to families.” Design of a peanut-aware cafeteria

should have designated (and supervised) allergen-safe tables (where friends who don’t have food allergies but have allergen-free meals can also sit), signage on handwashing and cleaning protocols for surfaces, utensils and trays. In case of emergency , every student with a diagnosed allergy should have a current Individual Allergy Action Plan, accessible medicine available (such as an epi pen) at all times and a trained group of staff (mentioned above). Cross-department training gets nurses, principals, teachers and transportation involved. Printed allergy action plans should be up in the nurse’s office, kitchen and main office. Emergency drills should happen annually, too. In a nutshell, as Tepper says, “safety always comes first. But with clear protocols, trained staff and thoughtful planning, we can safely serve a wide range of foods while supporting student nutrition and American agriculture.”

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GRAPHIC COURTESY OF FARE

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COVER STORY

C hef Jason Horton still thinks about the time he made a mango tart crème patissière for George Clooney’s Oscar party. Before his life as corporate executive chef for HHS (Healthcare Support Services), the now Richmond Va.-based Horton lived in L.A. and worked as a private chef when Pacific Rim cuisine and Roy’s Restaurant were in their heyday. “We’re talking late ’90s early 2000s when everything had pineapple and soy sauce and mango and passionfruit,” he says. He learned a few recipes from his head chef at the time and the mango tart stuck, not only because it was Oscar party-worthy, “everyone loved it because it’s fresh, it’s cold, it’s got great zip, zap, zing and it’s not too sweet,” says Horton. He starts with a classic French tart shell, adds a pastry cream and tops it with a swirling rosette of fresh mango. “Mango is one of those fruits that doesn’t bounce back. So once you put it into a form and shape it, you can keep it on a sheet tray and dab it with any kind of preserve like mango to keep it glossy, and keep it from drying out or getting brown,” he says. He tops the floral-like tart with a bright orange lilikoi (the Hawaiian name passion fruit) sauce studded with black seeds, a quenelle

Tropical fruit desserts with the ‘zip, zap, zing!’ Floral and feisty, tropical fruits, from pineapple to passionfruit, brighten (and lighten) up spring dessert menus in C&U, senior living and more.

BY LIZ GROSSMAN

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARTWELLS HIGHER ED

COVER STORY

fleshed ultimately won him over), added candied Buddha’s hand along with raw dragon fruit for contrast, a vanilla crème anglaise glaze, and edible orchids for a course served at a premium dining experience at the facility. “Everything kind of works really well together,” he says. “You’ve got the sweet kind of floral tropical-ness of the dragon fruit and then this citrus vibrancy of the Buddha’s hand, and then kind of all balanced out with the fact that the vanilla bean crème anglaise adds to it and it just kind of was reminiscent of being somewhere really cool and tropical.” He’s also working on playing around with even more tropical fruit for a Mother’s Day board (thank rambutan, lychee, and açai). “I love giving my residents exposure because it might not be something they’ve had before,” he says. “Plus tropical fruits are nutrient dense and the color profiles are captivating.” Corporate Executive Chef of Culinary and Nutrition Services Brittany Horn also loves playing with surprise ingredients and experimenting with the diversity of tropical fruits. When asked to create something fun and playful for a catering event at Healthcare Support Services, she turned to tomatillos for a mini tartlet reminiscent of apple pie. “Tomatillos aren’t traditionally savory, they’re bright and acidic, so I had this idea of playing around with them in a sweeter capacity,” says the chef with a baking and pastry background. She created pecan-graham cracker crust shells and added a tomatillo filling (thickened with flour and flavored with butter, sugar, and baking spices), toasted pecans, whipped cream, and honey. “The tomatillos get very soft when you cook them and that’s why they often get puréed into a sauce or chopped up fine, because they break down when you cook them,” she says. “They are also similar to okra when cut and help emulsify the filling so you get a smooth, silky texture.” Horn admits she was pleasantly surprised when it all came together: “It

of yuzu juice and guava purée cream, powdered sugar and candied pineapple. While fresh yuzu can be hard to grow and difficult to source (Horton says there are some great indoor yuzu farms) he tends to use bottled yuzu juice, which he prefers to other citrus like Meyer lemons. “It’s a citrus that’s much more floral, and if you can get the fresh juice and zest it’s incredible. The juice is even more floral and amazing and we like to use it in ponzu sauces.” While not on a menu yet, he plans to bring the tart back as a retail option at his hospitals. “It’s got butter, fat, sugar, and everything else, but it presents very lightly on the mouth and it’s pretty,” he says. It was the beauty of dragonfruit that initially inspired Cura Hospitality Executive Chef Robert Grotha for a

dessert at Aberdeen Heights senior living facility in Kirkwood, Mo. He scoured his local grocery store for multiple varieties of the tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America, trying red, white and golden-fleshed dragon fruit for inspiration. “I took a vertical tasting to differentiate the different flavor profiles that they could bring to my palate so that I could serve those to my guests,” says the chef, who picked up some Buddha’s hand citrus as well. “I love how underutilized it can be and I went down the rabbit hole of Key limes and preservation methods, and Buddha’s hand is one that I wanted to kind of explore more.” Grotha leaned into his French cooking background to make a pâte de fruit with the red-fleshed dragon fruit using the juice (the color and pop of the classic red-

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COVER STORY

tastes so much like tart apple pie. I was just like, this is perfect. For me it’s about taking something familiar and pushing it a little, whether that’s turning lime leaves into a dust or turning something like tomatillos into a dessert. I’m always looking for ways to play with flavor, texture, and color while still making something that feels approachable.” Retail Executive Chef Jeremy Jones of Cal Poly Campus dining in San Luis Obispo was listening to his students when he added açai and mango sorbet bowls to The Health Shake. “It’s a 6x6- foot shack,” he says. “Literally the size of a tool shed.” Located close to the library, it’s big enough to offer quick and healthy wraps, avocado toast, and more recently, a frozen açai purée bowl with bananas, strawberries, blueberries and housemade granola and also a frozen mango sorbet bowl with the same toppings. They did sampling tables before they stocked them to make sure students knew what açai was, and it wasn’t long before the tropical fruit bowls made it to the menu. “They’re vibrant, really pretty and go well in hot or cold weather,” he says. “Plus, they are easy on our staff to produce good quality consistently.” Jones has also done dessert poke bowls with coconut rice and mango purée, and pineapple cinnamon upside-down cakes at other campus venues. “I’m a big fan of ‘you eat with your eyes first’ and usually a lot of those tropical fruits are vibrant, pretty, and really pop, so that’s the direction we’re going with a few of our venues.” If anyone holds a place in their heart for tropical fruit it’s Nicole White. The executive chef of catering for University of Utah Dining powered by Chartwells Higher Education hails from South Africa. “It’s very much down in the tropics and one of the things I love is that we have those great flavors of guava and passion fruit, which you don’t necessarily get in America,” says White. “I wanted to introduce that into my style of cooking.”

To close out a Valentine’s Day menu for a private staff event, she made a coconut lime panna cotta with passion fruit coulis, guava strawberry gelée, hibiscus meringue and dust and dried strawberries. She made the panna cotta with coconut milk, lime zest, sugar, and vanilla in mini bundt cake molds, and used guava purée for the gelée and passion fruit purée for the coulis. “It’s very difficult to get in passion fruit and guava, especially in winter, and the ones that you do get in aren’t always ripe enough. So the purée is a great way to kind of introduce people to the tropical flavors.” Dried hibiscus flowers go into mini meringues and get crushed for a slightly floral dust that gets sprinkled on the plate. “With the bright yellow at the bottom, the white dessert, and the red on top, it was very pretty. But I wanted to kind of mess it up a little bit so I added the dust. I am not the kind of chef that has three-dots-and-a- circle kind of thing. I like to play around with my food and make sure everything’s a fun experience.” White says she also likes ending particularly heavy meals with tropical fruits. “You don’t want to eat a chocolate cake after you’ve had meatloaf. It’s just it’s too heavy,” she says. “This dessert is more like an aperitif you have after your meal. So you’re not leaving feeling bloated and heavy, just refreshed.” White has also used hibiscus in a floral soup and passion fruit in a buttercream frosting for sugar cookies served at catered events on campus. At home she’ll caramelize star fruit and serve it with crèpes, whipped cream, macadamia nuts, and brown sugar, “There’s nothing on this planet like it,” she says.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HHS

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SENIOR DINING

O n Harry Guerra’s first day as food and beverage director of The Seabrook at Hilton Head last summer, he got an earful. He walked into the auditorium representing his employer Restaura, which was taking over from another operator to run the retirement community’s dining program. The Seabrook’s assembled residents were friendly, yet they were also eager to share their thoughts. The soup was too creamy. Menus felt tired. And what was the new plan, anyway? Guerra invited it all. He refused to deflect or overpromise. Instead, he asked for time and partnership. “My first goal was to listen to the concerns they had,” Guerra said. “Once you listen, only then can you take action. I told them, ‘Give me a couple of weeks. I’ll review all your comments, and we will turn this place around together with my team.” A turnaround was indeed needed, according to Seabrook Executive Director Matt Uppenbrink. Dining is central to daily life in a community like Seabrook’s. “If your dining experience is not

great, then everything is colored by that experience,” Uppenbrink said. “Even if you have the best housekeeper in the world, you’re still grumbling about that lunch you didn’t enjoy.” A BUFFET NO LONGER SERVING ITS PURPOSE Pre-Restaura, like many communities, Seabrook’s dining operation had shifted heavily toward buffet service during the pandemic. The model served its purpose during peak COVID, but it no longer matched resident expectations and the community’s long-term vision. Uppenbrink and the rest of Seabrook’s leadership team wanted more: more restaurant-style service, better food quality, and a program designed with intention. The pitch from Restaura Hospitality Group, which launched October 2024, stood out early. The Restaura team spent quality time on site—literally walking through the operation and talking through challenges with leadership, staff, and residents. “It felt more like a partnership than a pitch,” Uppenbrink said. “They wanted to understand who we are as a community and what our residents actually value.”

Re-Setting the Table: How Restaura Rebuilt Dining at The Seabrook of Hilton Head March’s FoodService Operation of the Month, The Seabrook of Hilton Head, made residents an essential part of the process when revamping its dining pro- gram. Residents collaborated with the Restaura team on new menu items and shared ideas on how to improve their dining ex- perience. Today, residents enjoy global dishes like Peruvian octo- pus with olive sauce and can par- take in a popular Sunday brunch, Friday happy hour and more.

BY JULIANNE PEPITONE

QUARTERLY | Q2

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SEABROOK OF HILTON HEAD

SENIOR DINING

foodservice operation, Guerra says. In fact, that Sunday brunch has become so popular that Seabrook added a second seating to accommodate all the demand. “It’s never just about changing a dish,” he said. “It’s how the order is taken, how the meal is prepped, how it looks, how it tastes, how it’s presented.” That meant training front-of-house and back-of-house teams both separately and together. FOH team members practiced real-life scenarios and service rather than simply reading training manuals, and they tasted dishes so they could offer recommendations confidently when residents asked. Back in the kitchen, Guerra noticed that language barriers sometimes slowed down back-of-house work. He installed a screen that displays common kitchen phrases, names for tools, and service cues in both Spanish and English. The simple change made a notable impact. “It really just helped get people together,” he said. “The effort shows respect and helps people connect. Once you have the communication, everything else follows.” Another helpful behind-the-scenes tool is Restaura’s technology platform, iCubed, which provides a simple dashboard with real-time access to metrics. Seabrook leadership says this reinforces a culture of transparency. “We can see inventory, costs, comments—all of it,” said Uppenbrink, the Seabrook Executive Director. “It feels like a partnership, not a black box.” That transparency is especially essential in senior living, where, as Uppenbrink noted, change can be tough. “What’s a four-letter word for residents? Change,” Uppenbrink says, laughing. For other operators taking over or revamping an operation, Guerra says the most critical ingredient for success is buy-in and partnership from day one. As in so many types of relationships, it comes down to communication. “Listen first,” Guerra says. “That will always be time well spent when you’re doing your due diligence. Those comments will help guide you to what to do, and then you commit fully to executing.”

He and the leadership team explained that Seabrook is a single-site, non-profit community made up of people unafraid to use their voices: an engaged board and a resident population that cares deeply about how decisions are made. Guerra saw that clearly on Day one in the auditorium, and that early moment with the residents set the tone for everything that followed: The residents would be an integral part of the turnaround team. The collaboration began immediately, with menu committees, open conversations and giving residents “homework.” “I put together all these cuisines and dishes across American, European, Asian, everything, and said, ‘Tell me what you like,’” Guerra says. “They came back with a whole list, their thoughts and suggestions—and that’s what we used to start making menu changes right away.” The exercise gave residents an immediate feeling of ownership, which in turn fostered natural buy-in and excitement. Guerra and his team overheard conversations in the hallways: Have you tried that piña colada French toast with grilled pineapple and toasted coconut? Or Harry’s making a dirty martini flank steak—can’t wait to see what that is! “One woman has family members come in almost every weekend to enjoy our Sunday brunch, and one of them saw our table with flavored butters, blueberry, apple, cinnamon,” Guerra says. “He looked at his grandmother and said, ‘Wow, Grandma, you are really living in a top-notch place.’ That’s what it’s about.” In fact, that Sunday brunch has become so popular that Seabrook added a second seating to accommodate all the demand. BEYOND THE MENU The reimagined menu, full of well-loved favorites and novel options like Peruvi- an octopus with olive sauce, certainly served to spark excitement. But menus alone don’t define—or transform—a

The dining team started making menu changes as soon as possible after residents shared their feedback.

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SENIOR DINING

GET TO KNOW SEABROOK AT HILTON HEAD’S HARRY GUERRA

See what’s in store for Guerra’s oper- ation, which was named FSD’s March Foodservice Operation of the Month. Q: What is it that makes your operation excel? Commitment. We are committed to everything from sanitation to menu planning to serving the highest quality food. All of that requires a lot of commitment every day to doing the right thing. What it’s about is ensuring our members are very, very satisfied with the meal and the service, and that we’re providing them with great nutrition as well. We want to exceed our members expectations, and our client’s [Seabrook’s] expectations. That’s really our commitment at Restaura whenever we take over an account. Q: What are your goals for the operation in the coming year? We want to introduce even more of the culinary experience with new tastes. In the next few weeks, we’ll have someone preparing foods at stations right in front of our members. That action, the visual, and the aromatic enhances that sense of “Oh, I’m hungry!” And it invites more people in because they wonder what’s going on in there. We have a happy hour on Friday that’s very popular, and I’d like to introduce more of that in the middle of the week to increase our volume. In the past we’ve done stations like Brazilian barbecue, Korean, Mediterranean, Egyptian, Asian and Indian, and it makes a really fun conversation starter. Someone might share about their vacation they had years ago in Thailand, or maybe someone else has had a lot of European cuisine but never tried this Egyptian dish. It gets people talking, and they bring in their ideas for recipes too.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SEABROOK OF HILTON HEAD

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The Power of Us Elevating School Nutrition Leaders Through Connection, Support, and Shared Learning. By Lesley Graham E very day, you help shape the con- ditions that allow students to learn, grow, and thrive. You are often the keepers of wellness policies, leaders of school health and wellness advisory councils, champions of student well-be- ing, and trusted partners across district teams. You wear multiple hats, fill mul - tiple roles, and consistently show up for students with care, skill, and dedication. You do this work in every kind of setting imaginable. Whether leading a department of one or managing a team across a large district, working from a central kitchen or across multiple sites, navigating outdated equipment or test- ing new innovations, you bring heart, resilience, and leadership to the work — whether you serve 800 students daily or 80,000. The contexts may differ, but the commitment is the same: making sure students have access to the nutritious meals and supportive environments they need to learn and thrive. Just as importantly, you are a valued and integral member of your district leadership team. Your work sits at the intersection of student health, academ- ic readiness, family engagement, oper- ations, and school culture. You work alongside other district leaders across health, wellness, teaching and learning,

student services, and beyond — all in ser- vice of helping schools better support the whole child. That kind of leadership matters. At Action for Healthy Kids, we know school nutrition professionals are essen- tial drivers of healthier school environ- ments. We also know that the work can feel complex and, at times, isolating — es- pecially given the breadth of experienc- es, responsibilities, and challenges lead- ers face across districts. That is why we created the District Impact Network — a national community designed to connect district-level health and wellness leaders, including school nutrition professionals, with the resources, relationships, and support they need to grow their impact. The power of us is about more than doing important work in separate roles. It is about what becomes possible when you, alongside your district peers, can learn from one another, share ideas, ac- cess trusted resources, and strengthen more coordinated approaches to student health and wellness. Through the District Impact Network, you can connect with peers facing sim- ilar opportunities and challenges, access practical tools and professional learning,

and tap into resources that help you lead more effectively across teams and sys- tems. At the same time, district leaders working in other areas of wellness can benefit from that same connection and support, helping districts build stronger alignment around wellness priorities and more sustainable, whole-child strategies. Because when school nutrition profes- sionals are recognized as leaders, teams become more connected. When district staff work in coordination, student sup- ports become stronger. And when lead- ers across roles have access to the right tools, relationships, and shared purpose, healthier school communities become more possible. Nutritious meals matter. Leadership matters. Coordination matters. Connec- tion matters. That is the power of school nutrition leadership. That is the power of stronger district teams. That is the power of us. Learn more about Action for Healthy Kids’ free District Impact Network and join a growing national community of leaders working together to strengthen student health and wellness.

Lesley Graham is Chief Program Officer at Action for Healthy Kids, where she leads national efforts to help school districts strengthen student health and wellness through sustainable, systems-level approaches.

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