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District staff attended Johnson & Wales culinary training to adapt school meals to nutrition standards
Summary
Committee members praised a summer culinary training hosted at Johnson & Wales for school culinary staff, aimed at making school meals more culturally relevant while meeting nutrition standards; district staff plan follow‑up training and PD days.
Karen Weatherall and other committee members described a summer culinary training hosted at Johnson & Wales that offered hands‑on sessions for school nutrition staff to prepare meals that meet nutrition standards while reflecting students’ cultural tastes.
Weatherall said the training involved partners including Farm Fresh Rhode Island, URI SNAP‑Ed and the RIDE Child Nutrition Program and was intended to build staff skills for preparing flavorful, compliant meals without relying on excess salt. “We’re working on really, developing, compliance so they can, you know, fit into the nutrition standards. But more culturally relevant,” Weatherall said, adding that Johnson & Wales provided kitchen space and instructors for the training.
Participants praised the sessions and suggested bringing Johnson & Wales staff and students into school kitchens for on‑site training and planning. One committee member said the district plans to schedule Johnson & Wales visits during a professional development day in March.
The subcommittee noted this training as a model for hands‑on professional development to support Farm to School Month and other meal innovation efforts; no formal vote or contract was mentioned.
