Reitano Design Group is a commercial foodservice design and experience firm with over 180 years of collective expertise.
Why Fuel in the Tank Leads to Academic Success
The importance of food & nutrition in the modern educational model
Legacy Charter School, Greenville, SC
What Role Does Food Play in Today’s Educational Environment?
“The belly rules the mind.” - Spanish Proverb
There is a direct correlation between consuming healthy food and higher test scores. However, it’s not about serving healthier food. It’s about enticing our children to eat healthier. With this in mind, many schools are raising food quality, focusing on operator training, and re-inventing the built environment to transform the food experience for their students. Intentional food cues, proper messaging, hospitable serving and dining spaces, and an appropriate length of time for consumption all lead to healthier students. These students perform better in the classroom, participate at a higher level in
extracurricular activities, and are set on a path for a healthier lifestyle. Reitano Design Group (RDG) has collaborated with school nutrition professionals, key administrators, and architects in programming and designing foodservice spaces in primary and secondary schools across the country over the last two decades. Our passion is built around providing rich human experiences that foodservice spaces have the potential to offer. As customer preferences shift, school leaders have the opportunity to re-assess the role of food in their educational model.
It’s time to ask yourself: What role does food play in your learning environment?
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Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg, IN
Educational Shifts and Foodservice Challenges: What You Need to Know
Four Proven Results of a Focus on Food
1. Increased Test Scores A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that school districts that increased calories on test days experienced increased pass rates of 11% higher in Math, 6% higher in English, and 6% higher in History/Social Studies. 1 Further, a 2019 study from the Maxwell School Center for Policy Research (out of Syracuse University) found that Universal Free School Meals (UFSMs) had a positive effect on the test scores of middle school students for poor and non-poor students, with the highest increase in non-poor students. The study also found that UFSMs increased participation in school lunch, which improved student performance on both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math exams for all students. 2 Across all of our research, the results are consistent: Access to healthy food leads to higher test scores. That is success for the institution and success for our children. 2. Enhanced Mental Health In a November 2023 study, The National Center for Education Statistics reported that student’s social, emotional, and mental health were among the highest concerns of parents, teachers, and students. Further, the same study showed
that students’ main concerns were primarily social-based - such as missing out on events, activities, extracurriculars, and sports. Community is built around food. What party, social event, or gathering doesn’t eventually end up in the kitchen? Food is a natural connector. Community is critical for us to thrive. This is especially true for someone with mental illness who is already experiencing the common symptoms of loneliness and isolation. 3 Social isolation is associated with higher anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and suicide rates. On the contrary, social connectedness correlates with lower anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and suicide rates. 4 How do we start to increase a sense of social connectedness? RDG believes coming together for a meal is part of the answer. 4
Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg, IN
1, 2. NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH 3. NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH 4. FHE HEALTH
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Four Proven Results of a Focus on Food (Continued)
3. Willingness to Consume Healthy Food Beyond serving healthier food, it is important to teach our students where their food comes from, how to prepare it, and the importance of a sustainable healthy lifestyle, now and into adulthood. The Health Policy Institute reports a striking pattern for adolescents. Obese children ages 12 to 17 are 70-80% likely to remain obese into adulthood. 5 This is a pattern we can help break by changing simple food behaviors. The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior assessed the effectiveness of farm-to-school programs in Wisconsin. The study found that 3rd to 5th-grade students participating in farm-to-school activities had better attitudes toward and greater willingness to try fruits and vegetables. These students also demonstrated greater knowledge related to nutrition and agriculture. 6 Yet another study from the Journal of School Health found that school gardens increased academic performance and dietary outcomes in students. The report assessed 16 separate studies on the effect of school gardens on academic and dietary outcomes, and every single one showed an increase in students’ eating or likely to eat more fruits and vegetables. 7 4. Manage and Improve Behavior Challenges The way we make food has changed. Our food has more sugar, processed materials, and preservatives than ever before. When a student’s body reacts to a food containing these chemicals, it produces cytokines.
Carmel High School, Carmel, IN
The result is inflammation in the brain that can lead to meltdowns, irritability, anxiety, depression, brain fog, and more. 8 We’ve all heard jokes about kids getting hyped up on sugar. It’s no longer funny when it’s impacting your classroom - and their future. Consuming sugary snacks or drinks can cause a sudden increase in blood sugar levels, which can then lead to an adrenaline release. Educators can attest that this pattern is clearly not helpful in creating cohesion and discovery in a classroom. Further studies have shown that artificial food coloring and preservatives may make it harder for children to focus and stay on task. It also contributes to hyperactivity and impulsivity. 9 The patterns are all around us. We have the opportunity to create new pathways for our students to discover an environment designed to help them succeed in every area of their lives.
5. HEATH POLICY INSTITUTE 6. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR 7. JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH
8. BRAIN BALANCE 9. RAISE THE ALLERGY CHEF
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Transforming School Cafeterias for the 21st Century Learner
The Art of Enticing Children to Eat Healthier
No matter where you look, the impact is clear: the right fuel in the tank means greater success inside and outside the classroom. However, sometimes the challenges to achieve the vision can seem insurmountable. That’s where Reitano Design Group comes in. RDG has transformed countless spaces and has more than 180 years of collective experience enhancing community and academic success in schools. The RDG Design Process is centered around a collaborative framework that actively seeks input from the client and our design team partners. Through active listening, empathetic exploration, and visual discovery, we strive to create an appropriate, flexible foodservice space to meet the operational needs of the staff and the culinary expectations of the students and community. Ultimately, our mission is to entice children to eat healthier.
Sunset Ridge School, Northfield, IL
Foodservice design has a great need for programmatic flexibility. The built environment must have the ability to adapt to the changing needs of today’s and tomorrow’s students - our ultimate customers. The Design Game Changer of Tomorrow
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Designing a Flexible Space that Adapts with Your Community
Design a space that won’t need redesigned every three years
Benchmarking Benchmarking asks the question, “what does the data tell us?” • How many students are we serving? • What space are we playing in? • What are our budgetary parameters? Trends Trends seek to understand how best to prepare our students to eat healthier now and into adulthood. • Where do our kids eat when they’re not with us? • How do we expose our children to quality foods that will set a healthy foundation for their entire life? • How do we provide our students with a restful and rejuvenating environment woven into their educational experience?
Yes, trends change. Yes, communities and preferences shift. It’s neither realistic nor cost-effective to redesign a space every time preferences shift. However, there are ways to incorporate flexibility and adaptability into the foodservice design to meet the growing needs of a community. RDG’s design process is unique. We take a high-level view of your community and examine the needs of the student population in your schools. We seek to match the foodservice design goals to the space and budget parameters in place. Context RDG assists in shaping the vision, design, and impact of each district’s educational model and goals. We use active listening, empathetic exploration, and visual discovery to better understand:
Pendleton Heights High School, Pendleton, IN
• What fits your community? • What works for your facility? • What enhances your culture?
How RDG Helps Guide the Vision for Primary and Secondary Education Foodservice Design • Identify clear program goals • Match goals to budget and square footage opportunities within a facility
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Foodservice Vibes: Top Trends as They Say It
Your students won’t be saying phrases like “schematic design” or “luxury tile,” but trust us, they know it when they see it. See if you recognize the words and phrases Gen Z and Alpha use that signal which of tomorrow’s trends are here to stay.
“OMG I saw that on TikTok!!” The food experience matters. It’s no longer the school cafeteria - it’s the commons area. It means different seating, natural light, appropriate branding, and the incorporation of natural elements. “Put banana peppers on it…” Today’s students have never seen a menu they cannot re-imagine, re-design, and re-arrange to their tastes. The ability to customize leads to increased participation and reduced food waste. “Is this non-GMO?” Think healthy! Not just fruits and vegetables. Think zero sugar, zero dye, and, yes, zero genetically modified food options. “Cool cool. Be back at midnight.” Our students are grazers and they are in our facilities from early morning until late into the evening. We have an opportunity
to provide quality, convenient food options throughout the modern school day. “Are these eggs from free-range chickens?” With the rise of messaging around plant- based diets and sustainability, future generations are increasingly aware of making responsible and sustainable choices for our planet. “Can you make it iced?” Let your menu do the talking. Flexibility in a serving space allows you to modify your menu on a daily basis based on customer preferences and ingredient availability. “Let’s chill.” We all need some downtime to rest and recharge. The right environment and enough time to relax makes for stronger academic performance and educational experience.
Keep Reading
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Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg, IN
Foodservice Vibes: Top Trends as They Say It (Continued)
“What’s your Venmo?” Today’s students have never known a day where cell phones did not do everything from take pictures to order pizza. We are in a position to use technology to enhance our service model for our customers and our staff. “Eww.” Food presentation matters. Like all of us, students eat with their eyes. They want to perceive that a fresh, quality product is being prepared and presented to them. “I’ll just grab something on the way.” Meal patterns have changed. Students are no longer consuming food during three distinct meal windows per day. They are grazers; they’re consuming constantly. If they can walk, check their phone, and eat at the same time, that’s a win for them.
“I just really want some sushi, you know?” Our students today are more globally aware than ever before. As the world grows smaller for them, they are not afraid to mix and match foods from different cultures and areas from around the world. This is an era of food fusion. Korean BBQ, anyone? “Ugh… I don’t want to go all the way down there.” In a world centered on convenience, having food available where they want it, when they want it, and how they want it is increasingly important. A distributed dining model provides an opportunity to increase student engagement and promotes a community- based food experience.
Don’t worry. You don’t have to speak their language. We do.
Interested in working with the Reitano Design Team?
Contact Us
If you’d like to explore where your program could go, we would love to work with you.
info@reitanodesigngroup.com
Call or Text: (317) 637-3204
302 N. East Street Studio One Indianapolis, IN 46202
www.reitanodesigngroup.com
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