Category Archives: Food Service Software

Cafeteria Software, Food Service Software, Nutrition Softwares, PowerSchool Plugin, School Lunch Software, Software for Cafeteria, Software for School Cafeteria

Questions and Answers related to School Lunch Software Program for school cafeteria?

The on-going coronavirus pandemic has forced schools to make major changes in the way they operate. And one of the biggest changes that will have to be made is in their lunchroom procedures. School lunches cannot look the way they looked just a year earlier — many accommodations have to be made. Before selecting a solution for your school cafeteria, there are many questions in front of selection committee’s, and these are genuine questions, school administrators, staff must look for best feature software which will fulfil all requirement and answer all the questions..lets discuss in detail all such question and their appropriate answer with EduTrak Food Service Software. Effective and automated cafeteria management through a POS system means increased savings for schools, districts, and taxpayers. Ideal for school cafeterias, colleges and universities, hospitals and commercial building cafeterias.

Do Your Students need school lunch software in your school cafeteria?

For schools that have returned to in-person classes, no longer can students be crowded in a long lunch line while they wait to get their food. Self-service stations are no longer appropriate, and students need to maintain at least six feet of distance once they sit down to eat. Yes, Student need lunch software so that they can access hot lunch within prescribed time without any hurdle, in the covid era. School lunch software a digital tools that is safe, secure, easy-to-use, and currently available for transforming school cafeteria operations. Technology has the power to transform everything we do, especially how we work and how we learn–and it can have a tremendous impact in the school cafeteria and its functioning. It’s creating benefits for communication, accessibility, and collaboration.

Using cafeteria management System one  can benefit from integrated nutritional software solutions. Tracking, reporting, and the power of one click dashboards provide control to the entire process, and schools view status of inventory, purchases, consumption, budget allocation, and more. Parents and students are informed for menus, payments etc.,  Schools are enabled to provide truly nutritious meals students want to eat and enjoy.

How does school lunch cashier system will accept payment?

This system also provides a convenient and secure way for parents to pre-pay for their children’s meals. Similar to payment wallet like paypal or  other payment apps, parents can pre-load a debit account for school purchases, including lunches. Students need not to worry for lunch money, and parents don’t have to worry about making sure they have enough cash on hand to pay for their child’s lunch each day.The cost of the lunch is deducted from the account. Parents receive a notification to reload the account, when the account gets low, Parents can reload the lunch account from anywhere and at any time with Internet access, and schools benefit in a variety of ways, including safe and immediate electronic transfers of money, deposits, and transparent, up-to-date financial reporting. Online payments are one of the best ways to speed up the lunch ordering process.

Does School Lunch Cashier system is secured?

Students can keep their lunch money safe and secure - Students no longer need to keep track of their cash or worry about keeping it safe in their pockets and bookbags.   We appreciate to you for EPayTrak’ secure, friendly solutions can transform everything parent-payment-related in your school . Lunch Portal is secure and uses industry-standard data encryption. You are in full control of your account and can make a payment at any time that is convenient for you. Transactions are handled and processed electronically, where information and money transfers are encrypted. Our POS systems accept credit and debit cards, while others can process transactions via an account, like PayPal® or GooglePay®.  In addition to choosing a system that is flexible, you also want to choose one that’s secure. Our Lunch cashier system uses a payment processor that’s PCI compliant. Multiple Deployment Options (Cloud, VM, Server or Combo), Easy to Learn, Easy to Use, Continuously Evolving Features and Functionality.

Does School cafeteria system process lunch lines quickly?

POS systems ensure lunch lines run significantly faster, you can Eliminating long cafeteria lines by using School cafeteria system in your campus cafeteria, School Cafeteria software is designed for quickly serving lunch lines, so that student can have plenty of time for having their hot and fresh lunches. Students can grab quickly, check out, and go, without having to wait in long cafeteria lines.  students need not to wait for lunch and cafeteria staff to count crumpled-up dollar bills and loose change. 

Does lunch cashier system is cloud based?

Cloud application benefit is anywhere, anytime on any device–all you need is Internet access. Whether at a desk, on-the-go, or in the school cafeteria, students and staff can access the Cloud for all their dietary and information needs. District agents can access the data they need to compare cafeterias from any location, including school visits, direct from a phone, tablet, or laptop. Cloud-based technology is safe and secure via encryption and password management technology. Takes only minutes to install and connects securely to the cloud for automatic updates, sync and backup. Controlled access protects the security of your internal network.

Does School Lunch Cashier System support in distributing government benefits?

Our point-of-sale (POS) system speeds up meal service, anonymizes students with free or reduced lunch and streamlines cafeteria management.The school lunch software and cafeteria POS system that makes connecting administration, parents and federal programs easier. Yes, School Lunch Cashier System allows in distributing government benefits, school apply for lunch benefits and on approval schools provides government benefits for students in lunch serving. School administrators and the school board become work proactively of budgetary accounts. Automated POS systems save time and increase participation and profit.

Do i have control over the amount spent in the cafeteria?

 Parents predetermine whether a child can use the money/account for lunch (Meal) only or for lunch and ala  carte  purchases  (general).  Ala  carte  purchases  can  be  milk,  snacks,  ice  cream,  etc,  the  parent  determines  if  the  money  is  put  in  meal  or  a  general  account.  An  account  balance  and  record  of  money  submitted and spent can be obtained easily. Computerized point-of-sale (POS) machine software that allows parents to place restrictions on their child’s school meal accounts is available. Parents could restrict specific foods (eg, chips), identify specific days the child can purchase extra foods, or set monetary limits. This descriptive study examines the use of parental restrictions on student cafeteria POS accounts in a convenience.

Do we need server for Lunch cashier system?

Simplify food service with a fast, powerful and secure POS system that supports contactless check-outs and has everything your school needs to run your cafeteria. EduTrak have bot options server based and cloud based, schools can access software on web browser and need not to install any other software. School can access it on mobile, IPAD, desktop, laptop or POS.

Do we have to buy additional hardware with school lunch software?

No, You need not to buy any additional hardware, you can use it on desktop or laptop, if you want to run it on POS then only you have to but a POS device.

Do you want to manage meal programs at multiple schools from single account?

Managers can easily administer multiple schools or campuses from a central portal. We have integration with powerschool and you can easily integrate with any SIS, so you can easily manage multiple district schools, or schools from single account.

Do you want your school student’s Parents can pay for all children from single account?

When you implement a school lunch ordering system, parents can access their child’s account through an online portal. Parents can pay for all kids in a single account . This online portal makes it easier and more convenient for everyone involved. And it’s easy to add money to their child’s online lunch account. Plus, they can set up automatic payment reminders when the account balance gets low.

Can Parents monitor student accounts?

Once kids are in school, many parents start to feel like they don’t really know what’s going on. That’s why one of the biggest benefits of a school lunch ordering system is the added transparency it provides parents. Parents can log into the online portal and quickly see what kinds of meals their child is eating on a daily basis. They can also access a list of their transaction history, and add spending limits to their child’s account.

Plus, many kids have dietary restrictions due to allergies and cultural or religious preferences. Pa

What are the advantages of this system?

The  major  advantage  for  the  parents  is  that  they  can  deposit  money  in  their  child’s  account,  in  any  amount,  ahead  of  time  and  not  have  to  be  concerned  with  the  hassle  of  coming  up  with  the  correct  change each morning. They can also rest assured that the money they send to the cafeteria is used only for purchasing food. A student does not have to have any cash with them to enjoy all the selections in the lunch program; they just need a balance in their debit account. The account is only debited when meals and/or snack food items are purchased. Remaining balances will be carried forward to the following year. For the students, the cafeteria line moves faster if all the meals are prepaid. This gives the students more time to enjoy their meal

We believe we have created the ultimate school cafeteria software package and we would be happy to offer you a free demonstration of the features and benefits our system has to offer school districts of all sizes.

Cafeteria Software, Food Service Software, Nutrition Softwares, School Lunch Software, Software for Cafeteria, Software for School Cafeteria

Advantage of Cafeteria Management software in Your School

In the covid era schools are facing difficulty in managing staff, distributing benefits and helping students in learning. Manual processing is very difficult these days. Technological innovations have entirely redesigned the administrations by making their business processes highly integrated, and more modernized. These developments have eased School in running their tasks smoothly and performing well than ever before. School lunch software program are widely accepted and running in most of America’s Schools.

School are accepting and adopting software for each and every operations in schools, so why not for School Cafeteria? There is no difference in the cafeteria management software as well. There are some key basics of managing the cafeteria such as ordering, menu management, shift management, billing, etc.  If you are not having an automatic system to manage your cafeteria you have to deal with the manual work for all of these tasks.

Doing these task manually involves lots of time and less accuracy also involves more employees in the process. Manual work is tremendously time-consuming, and it it cost ever month on school billing, while once you adopt school lunch pos system, it cost you once a year for license cost with support for whole year . All these things become a hassle for organizations. In this scenario, the Cafeteria Management software can do a favor. 

Lunch cashier System provides one stop integrated solution to manage school meal programs. Wordware school cafeteria system benefits charter and private schools of all sizes from prep level to senior high school and beyond. Our school lunch systems can be used by School districts, Charter schools, Private schools or Caterers.  All schools face a variety of challenges relating to the organized administration of everything from menu planning to lunch distribution, lunch billing, payment collection, reporting, and effective communication between administrators,  students, and parents.

Wordware, Inc., is proud to offer what we truly believe to be the best school cafeteria management software available in Minnesota and throughout the United States. Our incredibly cost effective and user-friendly system offers wide-reaching capabilities to menu designing, fast serving lines and easy and secure payment processing, one click payment portal, report to parents and state facilities.

Wordware, Inc., Lunch cashier System for school cafeteria was created by a team of experienced professionals, offering insight into what is needed for a streamlined and comprehensive approach to operating a school.We provides free demo for school lunch pos system so that you can know all about process and modules in school lunch pos system.

School lunch program software facilitates end-to-end process including, school cafeteria sales,  Free & Reduced eligibility applications across all states, schools have flexibility around menus and payments. Lunch Cashier System for school meal management in cafeterias can also be integrated with all popular SIS platforms for unified data updates.

Wordware Lunch Cashier System one of your single-source Nutrition Services solution for school’s Nutrition Services Department. It is not easy task of cafeteria payment collection, it takes several hardware components and software modules working together to get the job done efficiently and accurately, Wordware provides the same with server based and cloud based option for your school’s Nutrition Services Department as economic option to automate your school cafeteria section.

Schools can run our system on any smart device like, ipad, android tablet, POS, computer or laptop which have browser running. With the cloud, you can access your program anywhere there’s an internet connection.

Let’s understand the basics of computerized functionalities of Cafeteria Management Solution for all the handling. 

Free and Reduced eligibility applications – Manage Free & Reduced meal application eligibility process. Fully automated audit reports for State.

Menu Management – Schools can Manage menus online using school lunch software, Schedule menu publishing, notifications & cutoff dates. Edit menu as needed.

Order Management – Collect & submit meal orders to food provider. Manage menu change notifications.

Payments & Meal Distribution – Accept secure payments online. Mobile app to manage lunch balances.

Automated Reports – Extensive reports including Eligibility, Orders, Payments, Lunch transactions, Audit etc.

For Caterers

Schools Management – Link multiple school accounts to single caterer account

Menu Management – Manage menus for multiple schools

Dashboard and Reporting – Extensive reports to facilitate orders across multiple schools

Demand and Forecast – Forecast meal demand on a weekly or monthly basis

Payments – Accept secure payments online

For Parents

Manage Student Profiles – Manage multiple students from a single secured dashboard. Easy secured login.

View and submit meal orders – Submit meal orders from any device. Manage food allergies.

Payments & Balances – Pay online and view available balances. Receive low balance notifications

Receive Notifications – Receive notifications from school for Menu upload & Menu changes, Cutoff times etc.

Eligibility Application – Check and apply for free and reduced lunch eligibility

For the smooth execution of all the above operations, you will need a best  school cafeteria software management software that is responsive, takes care of your data security and makes all your work simpler. School lunch software easily collect payment in online mode from multiple sources, like internetbabnking, credit cards or debit cards.

Lunch Cashier System is a cloud-based system that will be the best for your cafeteria regardless of the type and size of the cafeteria. LCS1000 is one of the best school food service management software in America. If you are looking for a free demo of school lunch software Contact us for more information.  Our support rep was very detailed and very pleasant. At the start of school she is just the person you need on the other end of the phone. Thank you!

Food Service Software, School Lunch Software

Wordware School Lunch Software LCS1000 Mayflower chooses ePayTrak 4.0

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Wordware’s robust, reliable, and feature-rich School Lunch Software Mayflower LCS1000. Wordware School Lunch Software LCS1000 Mayflower chooses ePayTrak 4.0 to integrate with their new LCS1000 system. Parents can now view their balances in ePayTrak, make payments and even set auto payments based on low balance values.  EduTrak’s proven technology solutions are hard at work powering improved operational efficiency, enhanced administrative productivity and upgraded convenience at dozens of schools and service organizations across North America.
Offering education program administrators new opportunities to do more with less, our easy-to-implement, fully customizable payment, registration and resource management applications are designed from the ground up to meet the unique needs of a vast array of education organizations.
Wordware’s School Lunch Software Mayflower LCS1000  are designed to integrate seamlessly with current systems, ensuring that existing credentials, readers, and user databases can be retained. The DataBridge allows each of these programs or portals to send information back and forth. With the DataBridge, a school does not need to maintain multiple databases of the same student list, they can maintain one and sync the rest with databridge.
Currently the LCS mayflower works seamlessly with hundreds of Student Information Systems. Many of our customers use Synergy, Infinite Campus, Power School, JMC, Skyward and more. The DataBridge has worked with every SIS that we have encountered. EduTrak maintains and is actively pursuing a variety of strong business and technology partnerships including reseller relationships, technology licensing and cooperative marketing programs.

  • Eliminate the need to maintain multiple databases
  • Maintain one database and sync the rest
  • One to many and many to one
  • Facilitate information for multiple departments within the district

“Three factors separated EduTrak. They were affordable, easy to implement and incredibly responsive to our needs.” – David Wagman  PEF President

Under this best-of-breeds partnership, Wordware’s School lunch software platform is integrated with online payment gateway.  EPayTrak 4.0 Features for Families and Students. For families and students, ePayTrak 4.0 provides flexibility and ease of use:

  • Individual payment account: Users can set up their own accounts to make payments, pull payment reports, review scheduled transactions, and more!
  • Transaction history: Users can easily browse past transactions with a simple click of the mouse
  • Browse the school’s offerings: Users can bypass the login process and browse through the site, selecting classes, services, or products to place in their shopping cart. At time of purchase, they will be required to log in, or register for a new account

About Wordware

Wordware, Inc., founded in 1983 and headquartered in Mendota Heights, MN, provides software applications for cafeteria business. Wordware’s  LCS mayflower system is expandable to concessions, school store and could be integrated with Student information system, which makes perfect advance solution for your school. Wordware Inc, Lunch payment system is a simple and secure way for schools to connect, transact and manage all their school payments solutions.
Contact Us.
Corporate Headquarters:
Wordware, Inc. 2526 Northland Dr:
Mendota Heights, MN 55120;
Email: sales@wordwareinc.com
www.wordwareinc.com
call us at (800) 955-2649

About EduTrak

With offices in Wayzata, Minnesota and Boulder, Colorado, EduTrak Software is a subsidiary of Advanced Payment Technologies. Our experienced team brings more than a decade of expertise to development and delivery of ecommerce and payment software solutions.
EduTrak Software – Minnesota, 700 Twelve Oaks Center Drive, Suite 252, Wayzata, MN 55391
Toll free:  1-877-EduTrak (338-8725)
Email:
General Information: info@edutrak.com
Sales: sales@edutrak.com
Customer Support: techsupport@edutrak.com

Food Service Software, School Lunch Software, Software for Cafeteria, Software for School Cafeteria

Wordware, Inc. Announced That the Company Has Entered Into an Exclusive Partnership With FEEZEE

Wordware, Inc.  announced that the company has entered into an exclusive partnership with FEEZEE for proving online payment options to its clients in global market.

Wordware’s robust, reliable, and feature-rich School Lunch Software Mayflower LCS1000. FEEZEE is an integrated software platform that manages online payment features in many ways, its single high-security platform for any kind of business. FEEZEE allows end-users to control, manage, monitor, pay safely, prevent unwanted access, maintain compliance, and provide a robust audit trail. Secure payment processing on any device from a leading credit card payment processor.

Wordware’s School Lunch Software Mayflower LCS1000  are designed to integrate seamlessly with current systems, ensuring that existing credentials, readers, and user databases can be retained. The Wordware DataBridge is designed integrate data across multiple software applications within a School District. Our Databridge allows software applications to send information back and forth. The DataBridge allows each of these programs or portals to send information back and forth. With the DataBridge, a school does not need to maintain multiple databases of the same student list, they can maintain one and sync the rest with databridge.

Currently the LCS mayflower works seamlessly with hundreds of Student Information Systems. Many of our customers use Synergy, Infinite Campus, Power School, JMC, Skyward and more. The DataBridge has worked with every SIS that we have encountered.

  • Eliminate the need to maintain multiple databases
  • Maintain one database and sync the rest
  • One to many and many to one
  • Facilitate information for multiple departments within the district

“Wordware is excited to announce our partnership with FEEZEE, our exclusive online payment partner for School Lunch Software Solutions all over country,” said Manager  “We truly appreciate FEEZEE’s  expertise and are eager to support their growing channel partner network.  FEEZEE’s solutions, local knowledge, and experience complement our physical access product offerings for the market.

Under this best-of-breeds partnership, Wordware’s School lunch software platform is integrated with online payment gateway. FeeZee helps manage personnel access, online account management, credit card payment  etc. Wordware and FEEZEE will target customers in all kind of schools. These high customers require custom School Lunch Software with  policies that suit their individual needs and hassle-free deployments with seamless integration between software, hardware, and policies. • Easy online application • No complicated software to set up • No software or annual license fees FEEZEE Provides: • Secure, online payment processing from any mobile or internet capable device • Flexible payment options for your customers • An intuitive, easy to use interface • Reporting to help you manage payments • Customer receipts

About Wordware

Wordware, Inc., founded in 1983 and headquartered in Mendota Heights, MN, provides software applications for cafeteria sector. Wordware’s  LCS mayflower system is expandable to concessions, school store and could be integrated with Student information system, which makes perfect advance solution for your school. Wordware Inc, is the market leader in online Lunch payment system, most of the schools saves time and money using our unique and techno advance Lunch payment application software.  Lunch system makes your school to monitor money administration easier and will reduce time spent on managing the school meal service. Wordware Inc, Lunch payment system is a simple and secure way for schools to connect, transact and manage all their school payments solutions.

Contact Us. Corporate Headquarters: Wordware, Inc. 2526 Northland Dr: Mendota Heights, MN 55120; Email: Sales Information: sales@wordwareinc.com www.wordwareinc.com  call us at (800) 955-2649

About FEEZEE

FEEZEE is an easy to use payment processing solution that allows you to process credit cards, debit cards and ACH transactions with a simple interface launched right from your web site. FEEZEE does all the heavy lifting of payment processing so you can focus on the things you need to do to make your business successful. Don’t get bogged down with setting up merchant accounts, creating reports and managing software, let FEEZEE handle it and start accepting online payments today.

Solutions available for education and businesses that need to process payments electronically.Why FEEZEE? It’s easy. Contact sales@fee-zee.com, or call us at 844-5-FEEZEE (844-533-3933) for more information visit www.fee-zee.com

Food Service Software, Software for Cafeteria, Software for School Cafeteria

Changes coming to National School Lunch Program, will affect local students

The Education and Workforce Committee approved a bill to change the way the National School Lunch Program works.

However, the bill will still need a full House vote.

Right now, through a measure called community eligibility, a school’s entire student body is eligible for free lunches if at least 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

In Cleveland City Schools, all students eat for free – but that will change, and principal Mike Collier says – that’s disappointing.

“It’s going to impact us. I mean, there’s no way that it wouldn’t,” he said.

Right now, if 40 percent of students live in poverty, in a specific school, that school qualified for free meals for all students, paid for by the federal government.

The bill will increase that to 60 percent, meaning Cleveland Middle wouldn’t apply anymore.

Administrators at Cleveland City Schools, like Supervisor of Child Nutrition, Susan Miller, says they’ve known about since January.

“You cannot teach a hungry child. And, so, that’s what we’re here for is to make sure that every child has an opportunity to be prepared to learn everyday,” she said.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a D.C. think- tank, says millions of children across the U.S., and here in our area, are at risk of losing meal access.

The measure could potentially put students in some of the country’s poorest communities at risk for missing meals.

Principal Collier says the school system will do what they can to prevent this from happening.

“Kids are our number one priority. And one way or another – we’re gonna make sure that they have the opportunity to eat breakfast, and we’re gonna make sure they have the opportunity to eat lunch regardless of who they are and what the circumstances are,” he said.

The sponsor of the bill, Representative Todd Rokita, wants the eligibility to change to 60 percent because, he says, they’ll be able to provide summer meals and better breakfasts for those most in need.

But, opponents say some students who do qualify won’t apply because of the social stigma associated with free and reduced lunch.



Food Service Software, Nutrition Softwares

The National School Lunch Program – pros, cons, and how to get your kids eating healthier

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The National School Lunch Program – pros, cons, and how to get your kids eating healthier Thursday, July 16, 2015 by: Kristina Martin

The National School Lunch Program's supplies meals for over 21 million low-income, food insecure children around the country. For many, it is the only meal they will eat all day, so the USDA created specific guidelines to ensure these students are receiving the most nutritious meal possible.

New Standards for School Lunches

The latest federal program concerning standards for school meals is the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. In its original form, the law authorized the funds to extend current child nutrition programs and free lunch programs for 5 years; updated the nutritional standards to include more whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lean protein; and gave the USDA authority over schools’ nutritional standards and regulations.

Plenty of criticism has been leveled at the one-size fits all nature of the law as well as the ability of the government to dictate lunch options. The School Nutrition Association, a corporate sponsored group, has been the most vocal opponent of the act, saying that districts are unable to meet the guidelines and that students are throwing the healthier food away. Despite these claims, a Food Resource and Action Center study found that the low-income students who are the focus of the National School Lunch Program are receiving more benefits from the new law, and the USDA reports that 95% of schools have been able to meet the program requirements.

It is possible to get students to eat healthier foods. Schools who have successfully implemented healthier options have done so by slowly introducing these items to students, introducing wheat bread one day and a new vegetable a few weeks later. If no one introduces today’s kids to whole grains, different fruits and veggies, and new foods, the odds of them trying anything new greatly diminishes as they grow older. If we roll back efforts to introduce kids to healthier foods, we will leave our next generation at a serious disadvantage.

Food Education

Yes, schools have a responsibility to feed their students a healthy lunch. In a perfect world, school lunches wouldn’t require students to drink low fat milk and to prioritize grains rather than promoting the lush nutrition and healing power of vegetables and fruits.

Food education is often ignored. We have found that many young students can’t even identify common vegetables. But education can make a big difference in the quality of food a child chooses and their willingness to try new foods. How many of the schools serving local food are telling the students what they are doing and what the benefits are? Teaching children how to cook fresh food and how to plant and tend a school garden lays a foundation of healthier attitudes toward food and nutrition. But why should our schools be the only ones introducing children to healthy foods and teaching them how to eat?

Learning about food and healthy eating starts at home. There are so many ways you can get your kids excited about eating fruits and veggies and teach them how to be lifelong healthy eaters and by extension enjoy a much better quality of life. The earlier you can introduce your little one to healthy foods, the better. But even if your children have already been introduced to some of our more unsavory food items, here are some tips you can use to turn Mr. Chicken Nuggets and Pizza Girl into kale fiends:

  • Let them cook with you. Even if something is ghastly, kids are much more likely to try it and like it if they are the ones who put in the work.
  • Smoothies are a great way to slowly introduce veggies to resistant kids. A great nutrition powder can be a great addition to those.
  • Turn your little one into a gardener. Gardening will get them outside, teach them patience and responsibility, and get them excited about what they’ve created.
  • Keep offering new foods. Maybe the cauliflower wasn’t successful last time, but that’s no reason not to try it again later.
  • Lastly, be the example! This is so important, because kids are naturally interested in what adults are doing. If your little one sees you snacking on and enjoying carrots and kale chips, they are that much more likely to have positive association and be willing to try them.

Here’s an ultra healthy smoothie that’s kid approved: http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com. For more information on healthy eating, check out the first two sources below.

Sources:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/issue/11-80-raw-food-diet/

http://www.thelunchtray.com

http://www.npr.org

http://frac.org

http://www.fns.usda.gov

http://www.fns.usda.gov

About the author:
Kristina works at Green Lifestyle Market. A few years ago Kristina was no stranger to illness, but she decided to pursue health and vitality through natural means when she became pregnant. She quickly learned that she could prevent morning sickness and other common ailments other pregnant woman experienced with the right diet. After a healthy home birth, and a beautiful child, she never looked back. Kristina has not had so much as a cold since, and at two years old and unvaccinated, neither has her child. She’s passionate about natural health, environmental conservation, and raising her healthy baby without pharmaceuticals.




Food Service Software, Nutrition Softwares, Software for Cafeteria

House bill would scale back number of free school meals

BY Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press

Students at Doherty Middle School get their healthy lunch at the school cafeteria in Andover, Massachusetts. Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images

Students at Doherty Middle School get their healthy lunch at the school cafeteria in Andover, Massachusetts. Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images

WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Wednesday weighed legislation that could lower the number of students receiving free and reduced-price meals at school.

Legislation debated by the House Education and Workforce Committee aims to save money by scaling back the number of schools in which all students receive free or reduced meals. It would also help schools that say the Obama administration’s healthier meal rules are too restrictive and not appealing enough to students.

A proposed Republican amendment to the bill would go even further, allowing a trial period of so-called block grants for school meals in three states. That would mean those states wouldn’t receive unlimited federal dollars for students who qualify for the free and reduced-price lunches.Hunger and nutrition advocates from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the American Heart Association have sharply criticized the legislation.

“The bill would significantly weaken access to healthy, nutritious foods for our nation’s children,” said Dr. Benard Dreyer, president of the pediatrics group.

The block grant provision, included in an amendment by Rep. Todd Rokita of Indiana, even prompted opposition from the School Nutrition Association, which has called for major changes in the school meal standards put in place in recent years and championed by first lady Michelle Obama.

The group, which represents school nutrition directors and the companies that sell food to schools, called the block grant idea “reckless” and said it would be a first step toward eliminating the federal guarantee that all children have access to the nutrition they need at school. Republicans said the changes would help save money while ensuring that those with the highest need are still guaranteed meals. The committee was scheduled to vote on the amendment and the overall bill on Wednesday.

Republicans, including Rokita and committee chairman John Kline of Minnesota, said the changes would help save money while ensuring that those with the highest need are still guaranteed meals. The bill would raise the threshold for a government program called community eligibility, in which schools in districts with high poverty rates can provide free meals to all students at the school.

Republicans said it would better target taxpayer money by scaling back free meals for the some of the students that attend those high-poverty schools, but don’t qualify for free or reduced meals. They noted that the bill also provides an increase in federal reimbursements for school breakfasts.

“This is hardly unreasonable and it’s hardly unfair,” said Rokita.

The bill would allow a wider variety of foods to be sold in lunch lines, an attempt to provide flexibility to schools that have complained that the Obama administration’s standards are too strict.


Democrats objected to the efforts to save money on school meals and to loosen the nutrition standards. Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the panel, said the bill would “cut budgets instead of feeding our children.”

The partisan split on the House panel was in contrast to a bipartisan Senate compromise. With the support of Democrats, the GOP-led Senate Agriculture Committee passed legislation in January that would ease requirements for whole grains in school meals and delay a deadline to cut sodium levels. The House bill goes much further.

The healthier school meal rules that have been phased in since 2012 and set fat, sugar and sodium limits on foods in the lunch line and beyond. They require more whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Schools have long been required to follow government nutrition rules if they accept federal reimbursements for free and reduced-price meals for low-income students, but the new standards are stricter.




Food Service Software, Software for Cafeteria

Legislation to revise school lunch program passes House committee

By News Desk | May 20, 2016

Controversial federal legislation to limit funding for subsidized school lunches and change some of the program’s nutritional standards passed a House committee on a 20-14 vote May 18, and the proposal is being hammered by critics who believe it would endanger the health of American school children.

kids-school-lunch-iphoneThe bill’s sponsor, U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN), said that his “Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016” (H.R. 5003) will save money and give schools more flexibility to meet nutritional standards.

According to a statement from the House Committee on Education and the Work Force, the bill “reauthorizes and reforms federal child nutrition programs to ensure states and schools have the flexibility they need to provide children with access to healthy meals without additional or prohibitive costs.”

H.R. 5003, if passed by both houses of Congress, would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct block grant pilot projects on the state level to test alternative certification and food delivery procedures under the bill and then evaluate these projects after three years.

Under Rokita’s bill, the current requirement that free meals may be offered when at least 40 percent of the students at a given school already get some types of government help would be raised to at least 60 percent.

Democratic members of the committee and others are criticizing Rokita’s bill for what they see as a plan to cut back on the availability of free and reduced-price healthy meals for needy children.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) called H.R. 5003 “more representative of child nutrition policy out of ‘The Hunger Games’” as he tried to have the legislation renamed for that popular film. However, his proposal was voted down by the GOP-led committee.

Among the groups which have issued statements opposing the legislation are the School Nutrition Association (SNA), American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the Food Research & Action Center.

SNA President Jean Ronnei stated Wednesday that while changes are needed in the school lunch program, H.R. 5003 is not the appropriate vehicle to get those done.

“Although the House bill provides a much appreciated and necessary increase to federal reimbursements for school breakfast, portions of the bill will cause irreparable harm to federal school meal programs,” she stated.

CSPI indicated support for a bipartisan Senate legislative approach instead and asserted that H.R. 5003 would return junk food to U.S. schools.

“The bill would weaken the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, allowing schools to substitute chips, sugary fruit snacks and trail mix for the fresh fruit and vegetables they now get as snacks through the program, and make it more difficult for low-income students to receive free meals,” CSPI stated.

Supporters say the bill’s estimated $1-billion savings over 10 years would be applied to other nutritional programs for children and that changing the program’s nutritional standards would result in children being offered food they actually like and will eat instead of food the government thinks they should eat.

Source:  http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2016/05/126489/#.Vz7GcCEppUY




Food Service Software, School Lunch Software, Software for Cafeteria, Software for School Cafeteria

The Importance of the Point of Sale (POS) System

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Point of Sale (POS) equipment is the computer-based order-entry technology many restaurants use to capture orders, record data and display or print tickets. Restaurant servers, bartenders and cashiers can all use POS systems to easily enter food and beverage orders.

POS Capabilities

The POS acts as a cash register as well as a computer. In fact, the POS can consist of multiple stations, including credit card terminals, receipt printers, display screens, hostess stations and server stations. Having a POS system in place can add convenience, accuracy and save time in busy situations. In fact, is has the ability to perform a multitude of functions, including the following:

  • Calculate cash due for every order entered
  • Record the method of payment
  • Keep track of the cash in the cash drawer
  • Create hourly and daily sales reports
  • Allow hourly employees to clock in and out
  • Calculate labor and payroll data
  • Record daily check averages for each worker
  • Keep track of menu items sold
  • Record information on repeat customers

How Employees Use POS Systems

Keep in mind that some systems work differently than others. User processes will be different depending on restaurant type and service style. The following steps represent the general process of taking an order with a POS system:

  1. The employee enters in his or her name or user code into the initial touch screen. This allows the worker to access the system.
  2. The employee begins a new order or check by entering in food items the customer orders. For full service restaurants, the employee is also able to choose a table number and add food to an existing check.
  3. The POS sends this all order information to the kitchen or bar in the form of a printed ticket or on a digital display monitor.
  4. The kitchen or bar employees read the order and make the appropriate food or beverage for the waitstaff or other employee to serve the customer.
  5. In a quick-service restaurant, the employee will read the total charge on the POS display, and collect payment from the customer. In full service, the server will bring a check, wait for payment, then enter it into the POS when the customers are finished.

Where to Set Up the POS

Touch screens can be located in many different places around the restaurant, depending on the layout and the service style. For quick-service or fast-casual restaurants, the POS systems are usually located in a visible place, often close to the front doors of the restaurant. In a full service restaurant, the POS is usually located in a discreet location so as not to interfere with the ambience or the dining experience.

Advantages of Digital Display Systems

Modern POS systems, especially those in large chain restaurants, have digital display components. Technically called kitchen display systems, also known as KDS screens or “bump screens,” the order pops up with clear information as to what food was requested, the time the order was placed, the table number and the server name. When the food is prepared and finished, the kitchen worker will hit a button on the screen, effectively “bumping” it from view and recording the time it was finished. This is an especially effective way to stay organized, communicate the status of orders, and record speed of service information.

Specific POS Configurations

You should purchase a POS for your specific restaurant type, especially if your operation has any special requirements. However, the software can typically be configured to your exact operation specifications such as your restaurant menu items and prices.

Use Your POS to Gather Marketing Data

The POS has the ability to record phone numbers, email addresses or order information, such check average per table or party size. The POS can build a database of customer information. Later, in your direct marketing campaigns, you can use this information to personalize your promotions and tailor them to specific types of customers.

What to Look for in a POS System

Every POS system differs based on its software, hardware and application. When looking for a POS system, do some research online and check out several different companies. You can even request a demo from a salesperson. Make sure the POS system you choose is one that fits your restaurant concept, service style and business needs. After all, this software can take a big bite out of your budget. When choosing the right POS system for your operation, be sure to consider the following:

  • Price and quality.

Before you buy, make sure you know your business volume and system needs so you know your money is appropriately spent. POS software can cost $2,000 or more, and the terminals themselves can be up to $5,000 per station. Extra features and add-on options like digital displays or hand-held terminals usually add dollars as well. Warranties can add yet another yearly cost. Always ask sales representatives for price quotes, including all hardware, installation, software upgrades and support before deciding if a POS system is for you.

  • Necessary hardware components.

Make sure you purchase both the hardware and the software for the POS system. Hardware includes the touch screen monitor to place at the point of sale—usually at the service counter, behind the bar or at the waiter station. Hardware also includes any necessary network servers, customer display equipment, kitchen display systems and even portable terminals and handheld devices.

  • Software to track data.

Software includes all the programs you need for the point of sale, back of the house financial and inventory reports, gift card capabilities and even customer self-service. Software can even use labor data to help you create employee schedules, making a tedious task less time-consuming.
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  • Financial reporting capabilities.

Make sure that your POS software allows you to retrieve your financial information in detailed, coherent reports, ideally on the back of the house (BOH) terminal where you can properly analyze the information.

  • User friendliness.

A POS system that is confusing or requires extensive training may not be worth the hassle. Not only will it frustrate employees but it will slow down speed of service for customers. Also, be sure the orders are easy to read and understand. In a busy kitchen, there is no time for mistakes.

  • Technical support.

It is not a matter of if there will be a problem, but when there will be a problem with your POS system. Hopefully the problem will be minor, but just in case, it helps to know that you have experienced technicians available to help in times of crisis.

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Customer Satisfaction, Food Service Software, School Lunch Software

Opting out of school lunch program appeals as a palatable option

By Mary Pickels | Saturday, March 5, 2016, 11:00 p.m.

Students at Penn-Trafford High School aren’t buying that lunches prepared under federal guidelines that restrict calories, sodium and portions are their best option.

So they literally are not buying them.

“I would say, on average, we’ve lost about $20,000 a year each of the last five years,” Penn-Trafford business manager Brett Lago said of lunch sales since the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was enacted. “We are not in the food service industry to make money, but we don’t want to lose it.”

Penn-Trafford’s lagging lunch sales are part of a state and national trend since menu restrictions were tightened, federal statistics show. School lunch participation nationally dropped from 31.6 million students in 2012 to 30.4 million in 2014, according to the federal Department of Agriculture. Pennsylvania statistics show school lunch participation dropped by 86,950 students in the same two years, from 1,127,444 in 2012 to 1,040,494 in 2014.

As a solution to slumping sales, Penn-Trafford officials may opt its high school out of the National School Lunch Program, which limits meal choices, allowing them to put favorites like Pizza Hut pizza back on the menu.

“We’ve had some issues concerning regulations from the NSLP and how they are affecting menu selection and preparation,” Lago said. “I think (the guidelines) are very counterproductive to what they are trying to achieve.”

Lago and other critics of the federal program say it can be wasteful — requiring students to take a fruit or vegetable they don’t want and won’t eat, for instance. Limits on menu choices and reduced portions — especially for high school students used to buying unrestricted lunches — also mean fewer sales.

“I think this may be a trend, going forward: Districts are going to want to step back from the program,” Lago said.

National and state numbers show the trend is in its infancy. About 100,000 U.S. schools could participate in the program, and 524, or half of 1 percent, opted out in 2013-14, according to the most recent USDA figures.

In Pennsylvania, 34 of 858 districts pulled at least one school out of the program in 2015-16, according to USDA spokesman Chris Kelly.

A limiting factor in opting out is that districts lose federal meal subsidies when they do. Federal reimbursement rates this year are $3.07 per meal for students who are income-eligible for free lunches; $2.67 for those who qualify for a reduced price; and 29 cents for all others sold.

For Penn-Trafford — about 200 of the high school’s 1,350 students qualify for free or reduced lunches — that means a loss of about $100,000 annually in federal subsidies.

Lago said he is “cautiously optimistic” that offering a new menu at a slightly higher cost, plus increasing a la carte sales through a broader selection of foods, could compensate for the federal shortfall.

Allegheny County’s South Fayette High School used that formula to success after pulling the plug on the National School Lunch Program in the 2014-15 school year, though it had to make up only $20,000 yearly in federal subsidies. Food service director Tricia Woods said 95 percent of students now buy their lunches from the school.

“The kids love it. The percentage is high for participation,” Wood said.

Wood said much of the menu is still rooted in federal nutritional guidelines, especially those set before further restrictions called Smart Snacks in Schools were added in 2014.

“Being off the program doesn’t mean you are just going wild,” she said.

The school’s basic lunch menu price is $2.30; fruits and vegetables are provided, not mandated, Wood said.

“The biggest factors were that we have a huge amount of a la carte sales and low free and reduced lunch sales,” said finance director Brian Tony. “We have a positive food budget balance. I’m not arguing with the results.”

Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County was among a handful of schools in Eastern Pennsylvania that dropped out of the federal program in 2013. Food service directors there all said student participation lagged as more restrictions were added in each year after the Hunger-Free Act was passed.

“We were comfortable with the guidelines until 2013,” said Manheim food services director Gavin Scalyer.

But with the district’s free- and reduced-price-eligible student population growing to 28 percent, Scalyer said, even offering a lucrative and popular a la carte menu may not be enough to cover lost federal subsidies, so Manheim is considering whether to reenter the program.

“Every school district wants to ensure that students from low-income families have access to free meals at school, so dropping out of the federal program means taking on the cost of providing those free meals,” said Diane Pratt-Heavner, School Nutrition Association spokeswoman.

At private schools with few or no free-reduced lunch students — such as Sewickley Academy in Edgeworth — the decision not to participate in the federal program can be easier.

But public schools would have difficulty offering a menu of Cajun chicken pasta and beef stroganoff at a price of $5.95, as is offered at Sewickley. Metz Culinary Management, the food service provider for Sewickley, also serves Franklin Regional School District in Murrysville and Riverview School District in Oakmont, Allegheny County. Prices for lunches at those schools are $2.55 and $2.50, respectively.

“We have not been approached by any of our public school partners to move off the National School Lunch Program,” said Metz’s Jim Dickson, senior vice president of education. “However, if a public school wanted to move off the NSLP, we can still provide nutritional and wholesome meals without the federal funds and maintaining a budget.”

At Penn-Trafford, food service provider Aramark is expected to present options and costs outside the federally regulated program to the school board this month. Lago said the board likely will decide by April whether to opt out of the federal program in the fall.

“The board will decide if it makes sense to try it. We would still offer healthy lunches, but we wouldn’t be hamstrung,” Lago said.

Mary Pickels is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-836-5401 or mpickels@tribweb.com.

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