### DELAWARE VALLEY

# FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT

## NUTRITION PROGRAM 

[Breakfast]{.underline}

-   Breakfast includes some traditional comfort foods such as pancakes,
    eggs and sausage. However, we make our pancakes fresh! We mix the
    batter and grill the flapjacks. We also offer scrambled eggs and
    three choices of sausages (pork, turkey and vegetarian) to ensure
    all students have dining options.

-   Fresh fruit, both fruit salad and whole fruit, is served at
    breakfast everyday. Fresh fruits, especially strawberries, honeydew
    melon, watermelon, and mangos have been a huge hit with the
    students. There is often a line at the fruit bar!

-   Our cereal bar has such cereals as Grape Nuts, Just Right, and
    Special K among others.

-   We have found that students are very visual when it comes to
    products served to them. For instance, we were buying name brand
    Yoplait yogurts and they were going uneaten. We switched to TRIX
    yogurt (made by the same manufacturer). This yogurt tastes the same
    and has the same calories, fat, and nutrients as the Yoplait, but
    the label is different, and the students could not get enough.

[Lunch and Dinner]{.underline}

-   Many foods, including ethnic dishes, are prepared from scratch, in
    lieu of heat and serve items. To save time, some precut, frozen
    vegetables and other products are used, but sauces, garnishes, and
    seasonings are always homemade.

-   Food preparation has undergone dramatic changes. Fish is baked or
    broiled; meats are grilled, steamed or baked. Frying is avoided
    whenever possible.

-   Students always have choices. Our lunch menu always consists of two
    meat entrees, a fish entrée and a vegetarian entrée. We acknowledge
    that vegetarian students need more than a salad bar. We serve
    vegetable ravioli, wraps, tofu, Veggie Riblets, roasted portabella
    mushroom caps, sautéed spinach with griller strips, and stuffed
    butternut squash regularly.

-   An extensive salad bar is available to the staff and students. The
    salad bar consists of two types of lettuce or spinach, fresh
    seasonal vegetables, low-fat side salads, and fruit. Entrée salads,
    such as Greek or Caesar salads are often offered as a menu item.

-   Specialty dishes include shrimp lo-mein and the ethnic meals that
    our students request. We strive to make ethnic meals authentic. Many
    recipes come from students or their parents. We also have the
    students help prepare their recipes (after a food safety course).

-   As a treat, our center often serves fresh seafood. We make snow crab
    legs, shrimp skewers, catfish, salmon, Pollack filets and flounder.
    We have baked or broiled fish available daily at lunch and dinner.

[Beverage Service]{.underline}

-   We have added more juice selections, removed the Cola and replaced
    it with coke zero- a no sugar, cola that does not taste like diet.
    We have also added a Crystal Lite machine in the café that offers a
    low calorie, sugar free beverage that is refreshing to drink.

-   Vending machines contain fruit drinks and water. Students have to
    actively seek out soft drinks.

[Weight Improvement Programs]{.underline}

-   We use a point system (similar to Weight Watchers) for students who
    are concerned about their calorie and fat intake. The points are
    based on each individual's needs.

-   The USDA food guide, **mypyramid.gov,** is used to plan healthy
    meals. Students are able to log on, type in their age and gender,
    and the system will give them information on what foods to eat, how
    much of each food to eat, and exercise.

-   Students can use a brochure created by the Health and Wellness
    Center and Food Services to keep track of what they eat. Students
    are encouraged to utilize this system after leaving Job Corps.

[Food Procurement/Budgeting]{.underline}

In order to serve healthy foods within a budget, much work is put into
comparison-shopping and negotiating prices with vendors.

-   Products are purchased from several different vendors to create
    competition and allow for comparison-shopping. Items are purchased
    from two large national vendors, a local vendor, a bakery, and a
    local dairy, among others. This allows the center to offer a larger
    variety of items, ensure freshness of items through multiple
    deliveries, and keep prices down.

-   Heat and serve convenience foods are limited. This allows the center
    to purchase more fresh items.

[Teamwork]{.underline}

-   Food service works very close with the wellness center and with the
    recreation department to make sure the students learn about and see
    results from a healthier lifestyle.

-   A food committee is active in menu planning.