One of my friends works at a school that offers “teachers’ salads” at lunch time. She is able to spend $3.00 and she gets a salad. I don’t know the specifics about how the program works, but teachers sign up ahead of time to be part of the program. A teacher can’t just waltz into the cafeteria and get a salad, but instead they sign up (and I’m assuming pay) ahead of time. My friend told me it is an extremely popular program.
I mentioned this on facebook a long time ago and someone commented that they definitely had heard of a similar program and that the teachers loved it.
Well, I love this idea too! I’m wondering if $3.00 would cover the costs and provide a little extra for the school lunch program. And since the salad was meant for the teacher, it wouldn’t have to meet the USDA requirements, right? That might make it easier for cafeteria staff to build a salad without constraints. If the $3.00 would be enough so that there is a little “profit” and a school could get a good number of teachers to join up, it would be a great way to bring in some cash for the school lunch program. Thoughts?
The public high school where I used to work did a teacher sandwich and teacher salad every day. I think it cost $3.50 but it was quite a bit of food. It was nice! Lots of teachers and staff took advantage. I usually brought my lunch but it was a nice option for days when I didn’t have time or forgot my lunch.
I am almost 27, and I remember these from elementary school! though, back then they weren’t 3 bucks! Every norw and then the students would be allowed to buy them. they were pretty much just a rinky dink chef salad
I think our district is going to start offering salads not only to the teachers, but the kids, too. At the end of the year they had a bunch of different descriptions of salads and the teachers took a head count of how many kids in their classes would like each kind.
@Haywoodie2, I remember the same thing!
Where I teach, students and teachers are offered salads. A student may get a salad on his/her tray as an alternate to the main dish. They, then, also get all of the other foods offered on the tray lunch. Teachers can sign up in the morning for a salad if they choose.
In the elementary I did some of my student teacher at they did this exact thing. The salads were great with tomato, boiled egg, cheese, cucumber and other typical chef salad ingredients. It was well worth the money, but there were many times I would forget to order one and then be left hungry.
I provide the same service as Nichol’s school. We don’t have space for a salad bar, so it is the best we can do for now. Since the salad is for students or teachers, it does (along with the other menu choices) meet the meal requirements.
As far as pricing, reimbursement is not paid for adult meals, so adult meals are priced at around the actual cost.
I was very lucky at my high school and they had HUGE salads every day for teachers and students, no pre-purchase required, and they were $1.50 (late 90s). Each day of the week was a different salad, chef salad, taco salad, greek salad, etc. They were pretty amazing.
We have a somewhat similar thing in our lunch program, Choicelunch, which serves 200 schools in CA. Teachers get 1.00 off our meals (normally $4.45-$5.00) for 1 of 17 hot and cold entrees (chicken ceasars are the most popular salads) but which also comes with a drink, a snack and fresh fruit and or veg for the price. Lots of teachers order through the website, in fact it is kind of sad when you look at the orders for salads, almost all of them are marked ‘staff.’ The kids will mostly choose Annie’s mac and cheese over the greens. You are spot on, though, that without the NSLP requirements, $3.00 could cover a fabulous hearty, mostly vegetarian salad, and possibly leave a little extra to help with the cost of the kids’ meals, but there is really no way to have a full meal for $3.00…just the price of greens during some of the year can cost as much as $1.00, even here in warm California! Never mind adding tomatoes (which at one opoint in the winter doubled in cost because of storms) more varied veggies and a protein (especially ABF chicken!) The compostable container alone, with a dressing cup for homemade dressing, is close to a quarter!
Sophie
http://www.choicelunch.com
at one of the schools I worked at they a potato bar for jr high and hs plus teachers on thursdays, Fridays was salad bar, It was great during my lunch which was with grade school you would go in the kitchen and get your salad made. They usually had a decent set up plus some leftovers. You had to sighnup by wednesday. At the last school I worked at they had salad but it sucked mostly lettuce (iceberg) cheese and some lunchmeat. The older kids could order that instead of a reg. meal.
I teach in Southern Illinois and salads are available to teachers or students if they are requested in the morning. For teachers, they are $2 and students pay whatever the cost of their lunch is. It is iceberg lettuce with containers of cheese, ham, and eggs to choose from with dressing of choice.
Well, I think it’s a great idea to offer teachers salads but wouldn’t it be great to offer everyone a salad. It would be a really great example for the students if the there was a fresh salad bar for everyone and the students saw the teachers making salads and eating salads w/ there students?
Just saying, food for thought!!
I started a similar program where I am a food manager and it was such a huge success I was able to buy a salad bar for the cafeteria this year. We are a private Catholic School in Dallas and will have salads for all staff and the middle school students at the school. It is a pilot program and I hope to have it for 4th grade and higher by the second semester. I was surprised how well the salads were received by all the students. My idea this year is to include a baked potato with all the salads. I am also starting another pilot program for teachers that allow them to purchase a good meal for 4 for $16 that they can pick up after school. An example meal will be a whole roast chicken, scallop potatoes, and a salad. Eventually it will open up to the parents as a fundraiser for the the cafeteria program.
Yup, teachers used to get these and students did not. I remember my mom complaining about this over 15 years ago…
wow. my school has $2 salads plus a veggie and fruit side for students and teachers alike. also, there are boxed salads for $3 that include a salad, roll, and chicken, tuna, or potatoe salad. with these boxed salads you also get a side of fruit. Every meal is required to include a fat free or lowfat milk.
New to the site so I haven’t read a whole lot on here yet, so sorry if anything I say sounds uninformed/ignorant, but wanted to comment.
Back when I was in Kindergarten 20 some years ago I remember there being the “A” lunch (main meal), “B” lunch (usually a crummy burger that looked like it was made of rubber), or you could pick a PBJ sandwich or a salad. I wasn’t a fan of salads at 5 but I remember they were iceburg lettuce, a few carrots shreds and a tomato slice or wedge or two, cheese, some egg and some sliced deli meat.And they FORCED you to take a fruit option every day as well. I remember the ladies grumbling “pick a fruit!” Small orange, apple, banana, or choice of juice.
In high school they had salad bar available every day and I took advantage of that pretty often.
Have school lunches deteriorated THAT much where they can’t even offer this stuff that they so obviously did a couple decades ago? A salad offering is a big surprise? Wow.