To commemorate and help promote National School Lunch Week (NSLW), October 10-15, InHarvest is shaking up school lunches everywhere with a series of great-tasting, kid-friendly, healthy and reimbursable Shaker Salads featuring intact whole grains from InHarvest.
Southwest Black Bean & Ruby Wild Blend Shaker Salad is just one of a host of recipes designed to elicit craveability among school-age customers for fresh and flavorful dishes that are also healthy because they meet or exceed school-nutrition standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This particular shaker begins with a base layer of InHarvest’s Ruby Wild Blend—a whole-grain, gluten-free blend of Colusari Red Rice, Sprouted Sienna Red Rice, wild rice, sprouted brown rice and long-grain brown rice. Layers of chopped red bell pepper, chopped cilantro, black beans and corn kernels follow. Under the domed lid is a separate container boasting a bright vinaigrette of olive oil, lime juice and cumin.
The domed lid is key to offering an eating experience that not only delights, but encourages kids to consume more vegetables and intact whole grains, according to Coleen Donnelly, K-12 corporate chef of InHarvest and brainchild of the Shaker Salad series. The customer simply removes the lid covering the salad cup, pours in the dressing and returns the domed lid to the salad cup. Then it’s shake, shake, shake until the salad is fully dressed and ready to enjoy.
“Shaker Salads are a great, interactive way to provide a fun, healthy and fully reimbursable grab-and-go meal,” Donnelly says. “The ingredient and flavor possibilities are endless as long as you follow the reimbursable formula of 1 cup grains, 1 cup vegetables and 2 ounces equivalent of meat or meat alternate.”
Created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, National School Lunch Week is a weeklong celebration of the school-lunch program. Every year, nutrition directors and their teams celebrate in their cafeterias with decorations, special menus, unique events and more.
The NSLW 2016 theme, “Show Your Spirit,” speaks to the exciting benefits of students consuming wholesome, healthy school lunches that shine the spotlight on fresh fruits and vegetables and intact whole grains. It also provides an opportunity for nutrition personnel to capitalize on social media to promote their programs to parents and students.
To explore other InHarvest shaker varieties such as Buffalo Chicken & White Barley Shaker Salad, Spicy Quinoa Cobb Shaker Salad and Chef’s Shaker Salad with Chickpeas—as well as many more recipes created specifically for school foodservice—visit www.InHarvest.com/who-we-serve/k-12-foodservice.
Versatile for both hot and cold applications and with excellent hold time, Ruby Wild Blend from InHarvest is available in packs of six 2-lb. sleeves. For more information, visit www.InHarvest.com.
