Audience: Colleges / Higher Education

Post-Pandemic Normal

POST-PANDEMIC NORMAL

 

What does the new normal look like for on-campus dining services? At this point it’s still evolving, and no doubt will continue to do so as colleges and universities struggle to adapt to post-pandemic higher education. For now, adjusting to the new reality of social distancing and fewer students regularly on campus, dining services operators are simplifying menu offerings to lower food and labor costs.1 At the same time, campus dining services want to offer nutritious meals because that’s what their students expect and desire – more than half of students say it’s important to eat healthy and pay attention to nutrition, according to Technomic.

One thing is certain. The new normal for on-campus dining services will be dominated by prepackaged, grab and go offerings. Tech-savvy Gen Z already had a penchant for eating on the go prior to the pandemic, so they will easily adapt to contactless ordering and paying for items that enable them to eat in their socially-distant bubbles. The key to keeping Gen Z dining on campus will be meeting their expectations for carryout options and ordering.

Opportunities for campus dining
• Offer foods that travel well and can be easily reheated if necessary.
• Use technology for worry-free contactless ordering and payment.
• Let students preorder meals.
• Promote nutritious food and beverage combinations with functional benefits like energy for study or immune health.
• Ready-to-heat meals/meal kits for off campus students/faculty/staff.

  1. Datassential C19 Report – 80% of C&U operators have narrowed their menu offerings; 96% of operators have decreased purchasing

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Served over ice in a tall glass, straight in a martini glass for a mocktail, or even in a plastic bottle in the retail beverage refrigerator, this aromatic creamy topped drink is refreshing any time of day.

Yield: 3 to 10 portions

Elderflower Foam Iced Tea

Elderflower Foam Iced Tea

Served over ice in a tall glass, straight in a martini glass for a mocktail, or even in a plastic bottle in the retail beverage refrigerator, this aromatic creamy topped drink is refreshing any time of day.

Yield: 3 to 10 portions

Yield:

Ingredients
Directions

    tips

    24716

    Eggs baked in a bed of roasted corn, chilies and jicama

    Street vendors layer smoky flavors on grilled corn when they slather it with mayonnaise or crema, roll in grated cheese, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and dust with chili-salt. Some customers add a squeeze of lime to balance the sweet corn. This batch cooked version enables the C&U community to bring the flavors of Mexico in an updated format to serve inside dining halls. Note that this uses chili powder with an “i” which is not just ground chilies (aka chile powder) but a spice mix with a blend of chile peppers and other spices, including cumin, peppercorn, oregano and salt.

    Yield: 6-12 portions (one full 2-inch hotel pan)

    Mexican Street Corn & Egg Bake

    Mexican Street Corn & Egg Bake

    Eggs baked in a bed of roasted corn, chilies and jicama

    Street vendors layer smoky flavors on grilled corn when they slather it with mayonnaise or crema, roll in grated cheese, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and dust with chili-salt. Some customers add a squeeze of lime to balance the sweet corn. This batch cooked version enables the C&U community to bring the flavors of Mexico in an updated format to serve inside dining halls. Note that this uses chili powder with an “i” which is not just ground chilies (aka chile powder) but a spice mix with a blend of chile peppers and other spices, including cumin, peppercorn, oregano and salt.

    Yield: 6-12 portions (one full 2-inch hotel pan)

    Yield:

    Ingredients
    Directions

      tips

      24706

      The golden brown sugar-spiced banana layer waits beneath the light, slightly sweet, yet creamy chia pudding. Imagine when you substitute other seasonal fruits, such as mangos, berries or even a fall mixture of roasted pumpkin pieces, dried fruit and nuts.

      Yield: 10 portions

      Chia Coconut Pudding Cups with Banana & Sesame

      Chia Coconut Pudding Cups with Banana & Sesame

      The golden brown sugar-spiced banana layer waits beneath the light, slightly sweet, yet creamy chia pudding. Imagine when you substitute other seasonal fruits, such as mangos, berries or even a fall mixture of roasted pumpkin pieces, dried fruit and nuts.

      Yield: 10 portions

      Yield:

      Ingredients
      Directions

        tips

        Campus Eggscapades

        Laying Foundation for Global Dining Experiences

        LAYING FOUNDATION FOR GLOBAL DINING EXPERIENCES

        At Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, students weren’t the only ones getting an education recently. The Yale Hospitality team, which nourishes thousands of students, faculty and staff each day in 14 different dining halls, put aside a few days to immerse themselves in global cuisines. Yale Hospitality takes a holistic approach in leading the food and culture conversation on campus, intertwining the two whenever possible. Exploring international flavors, the American Egg Board (AEB) worked with Hospitality’s culinary team to prepare a wide range of global-inspired egg recipes.

        This was combined with interactive ‘train the trainer’ sessions conducted in five different dining halls. Over three days, Yale Hospitality chefs were coached on the implementation and service of new recipes during meal service in five pop-ups, while students got to take a global culinary adventure through Mexico, Malaysia, India, Turkey, Thailand and Greece. All-in-all, nearly one thousand eggcentric meals were served.

         

        EGGS AROUND THE WORLD

        Here’s a peek at that menu of global recipes trialed on the Yale campus.

        Mexican Street Corn & Egg Bake

        Charred corn, jicama, roasted green chilies, Cotija cheese and lime are married with the richness of baked eggs.

        Vietnamese Egg Curry

        A ginger-scented, coconut curry, centered upon a hard-boiled egg, red onion, eggplant, tomatoes and crispy shallots.

        Malaysian Walking Omelet aka Roti John

        An Asian-style hoagie, this sandwich starts with an egg encrusted bun and is stuffed with roasted root veggies, raw beet-orange relish and toasted sesames.

        Egg Wrapped Pad Thai

        In this version of the rice noodle dish, a thin omelet wraps the noodles, tamarind-chili sauce, bean sprouts, garlic chives and peanuts.

        Egg, Tomato & Basil Naan

        The addictive Indian flatbread – naan – is the base for this pizza-inspired dish topped with a sunny-side egg, sun-roasted tomatoes, caramelized shallots and fresh arugula.

        Turkish-Style Poached Eggs

        Poached eggs paired with rich, creamy yogurt and a peppery, brown butter sauce, served with grilled flatbread.

        Greek Avgolemono Soup

        This egg-enriched soup has been Greek tradition for centuries. In this hearty version, the lemony soup is fortified with roasted squash, kale and brown rice.