It’s a new year, and school kitchens are getting creative with what they cook, how they cook, and how they serve the meals to students. Here are the trends coming down the lunch line in 2025.
Meal Trends
1. “Build-Your-Own” Bars
Inspired by trends in higher education dining, K-12 schools are adopting more made-to-order options to offer a fresh and engaging experience that aligns with students’ preferences. Customization continues to be a hit with students, and build-your-own bars are one way to encourage this customization. Students can choose their base (like rice or noodles), and then choose preferred toppings from options like different proteins, vegetables, cheeses, and sauces. Some ideas for build-your-own bars include:
- Asian-style noodle and rice bowls
- Burrito bowls
- Tacos
- Breakfast bars
With Vulcan’s Heated Holding Cabinets, schools can keep the ingredients and toppings at perfect serving temperatures for easy swaps, ensuring quality and safety during busy lunch periods. With our cabinets, you can hold the food until it is ready to be served, precisely as you made them, when the time is right.
2. Commitment to Speed Scratch Cooking
Speed scratch cooking has continued to grow in popularity, but it is more than a trend. Schools that speed scratch cook combine whole ingredients with some processed foods. This promotes fresh meals while allowing for customization students would not get from fully pre-made ones. Speed scratch cooking also saves more time than traditional scratch cooking. It can be a good option if you need the benefits of cooking with fresh foods, but need to keep up with speedy school meal services.
For speed scratch cooking, Vulcan’s Combi Ovens are game-changers, offering multiple cooking modes like steaming, roasting, and baking in a single unit. This adaptability enables kitchens to produce a diverse menu with less equipment, saving both space and resources, all while maintaining the highest nutritional quality and flavor. For example, a pizza can be made with premade dough but topped with fresh vegetables and baked in a combi oven.
OPERATIONAL TRENDS
1. Energy Efficient Equipment
As sustainability becomes a priority, schools are looking for ways to be more energy-efficient. Using ENERGY STAR® certified kitchen equipment can help lower operational costs while reducing your carbon footprint. Vulcan has ENERGY STAR® certified equipment ranging from ovens to steamers, allowing schools to prepare meals more responsibly while producing tasty meals for students.
2. Smart equipment for easy training
Recruiting and training kitchen staff remains a top concern for many schools. To help streamline training, directors rely on versatile, smart kitchen equipment that reduces the learning curve on kitchen equipment. This is where smart equipment like Vulcan’s Intelligent Braising Pan, PreciPan™, makes a difference! Boil, braise, sauté, sear, and more, all at the touch of a button on PreciPan’s large touchscreen. It is intuitive and easy to use so minimal training is required even if a user is new to the interface.
Smart equipment also encourages consistent food quality so each student is receiving the same delicious food. One of our favorite features of PreciPan™ is its ability for custom recipe programming. When selecting a programmed recipe, PreciPan™ automatically sets the temperature, time, and even fills the tank with water, ensuring reliable results each time, regardless of staff skill level.
If you’re ready to join in on the trends this year, make sure you have the right equipment in your K-12 kitchen to incorporate the trends smoothly. Visit our Just 4 Schools program page for more information on the Vulcan equipment that can help make your everyday school service easier.