Creating Healthy Kid’s Meals

Healthy children’s faire seems to be on everyone’s minds these days, from meals prepared at home to school cafeterias to restaurants. Kids are notorious for being picky eaters, making it difficult to tempt their tiny palates with simply a plate of vegetables. However with a little creativity many meals can be made-over to be lower in calories and fat, without skimping too much on the tastes kids crave.

Did you know that Serv-U has an entire department on their website dedicated to school supplies? Visit our school supplies department to find everything you need to create healthy, fresh and flavorful meals in your school’s cafeteria.

What is your school or restaurant doing to ensure that children receive meals that encourage dietary variety and balance?

Stock-up for Fall

The fall season is upon us and to me that means cool, crisp weather, trees with beautifully colored leaves, trips to the local orchard for apples and pumpkins, tailgates and football games and evenings outside by the fire.

Make sure you are ready for this season by stocking up on a few restaurant equipment and restaurant supply items from Serv-U. Serv-U’s concession equipment and concession supply department has everything you need to stock the concession stand at your local school or park district. From popcorn poppers, to hot dog cookers, to nacho chip warmers – Serv-U can help you find the right concession equipment for you needs.

Don’t forget to pick up an insulated beverage warmer for seasonal beverages like hot apple cider or pumpkin spice coffee. Serv-U also has bakeware and pastry supplies for baking apple and pumpkin pies. 

Anti-Fatigue Mats - What to Consider

Choosing the correct anti-fatigue mats for your restaurant kitchen can be an overwhelming task. With so many different types of anti-fatigue mats available it can be difficult to know which anti-fatigue mat is suitable to your needs. Below are a few helpful points to consider before you purchase your next anti-fatigue mat from www.servu-online.com.

1. Rubber vs. Vinyl
Serv-U offers both rubber anti-fatigue mats and vinyl anti-fatigue mats. Vinyl anti-fatigue mats are known for holding up in harsh conditions, but should not be used in areas where they will be subjected to oil or animal fats. In areas of the kitchen where oil or fat is used for frying or cooking, look for a rubber mat that has been treated with a grease-resistor for ultimate performance.

2. Holes are ideal
Anti-fatigue mats that will be used in a commercial kitchen should have holes to allow liquid and food debris to fall below the walking surface of the anti-fatigue mat. Ensure that the holes are designed in a way that debris is able to fall completely through the holes when the mats are picked-up for cleaning.

3. Can the mats be lifted easily?
The weight of the anti-fatigue mats should be considered. Anti-fatigue mats that are heavy can be difficult to handle, especially when greasy. Anti-fatigue mats need to be completely lifted off the ground for cleaning, so choose mats that can easily be lifted and moved.

4. Consider the thickness of the mat
If an anti-fatigue mat is too thick, it may pose as a tripping hazard. Many individuals perceive a thicker mat to be a better quality, however that is not necessarily the case. Generally speaking, an anti-fatigue mat that measures 1/2inch in thickness is suitable for most commercial kitchens.

Do You Know Your Plastics?

There are three main types of plastic commonly used in the food service industry: polycarbonate, polypropylene and polyethylene. Do you know the difference between each type? It can be confusing to remember the properties of each, so read on to learn more about the differences of each.

Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is best identified by its crystal clear composition. It is virtually unbreakable, making this durable plastic ideal for glassware and dinnerware used in outdoor applications. Polycarbonate is also chemical and stain-resistant, making it very easy to clean and maintain. The one downside to polycarbonate is that it can be susceptible to steam and very high temperatures (safe temperature range: -40 – 210 degrees Fahrenheit).

Polypropylene
Polypropylene can be identified for its translucent composition. Some of the major advantages of polypropylene are that it is chemical-resistant (making it safe for chemical wash dishwashers); it is flexible and is typically slightly cheaper that other types of plastic. The major disadvantage of polypropylene is that it does not withstand high heat, and may not be safe for high heat dishwashers (safe temperature range: -40 – 160 degrees Fahrenheit).  

Polyethylene
Polyethylene can be identified for its white-colored composition. Polyethylene is both chemical and stain-resistant, making it safe for chemical dishwashers. Its largest disadvantage is that, much like polypropylene, it does not withstand high heat and may not be safe for high heat dishwashers (safe temperature range: -40 – 160 degrees Fahrenheit). Also, its white color does not allow you to see through the material, so when food is stored in polyethylene containers the container must be opened to view its contents.  

Stop Dollars from Dripping Away

According to a recent article on the NRA’s website, restaurants can use all types of sophisticated technology to conserve water and energy. But the most effective tool sometimes is a 50-cent washer.

Stopping faucet drips can cut a restaurant’s utility expenses by thousands of dollars. The Food Service Technology Center, an equipment-testing facility in San Ramon, Calif., has determined that full-service restaurants can lose $100 a week from leaky spigots in the kitchen, dish room and mop station.

As center officials note, any wasted water can be more than a drop in the bucket because restaurateurs pay for it at least twice: Once in their water bill and a second time in their sewer charges. If the water was hot, they also wasted the money to heat it

Experts advise restaurants to avoid wasting water through these simple actions:

• Look for leaks. Is a faucet or coupling dripping? Your restaurant might close at night, but the leak continues 24/7. Find it and fix it ASAP. Faucet replacement parts are available on Servu-Online.

• Stop flushing dollars. Look for leaks in a toilet by putting a drop of food coloring in the tank, advises the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If the color seeps into the bowl, the rubber gasket likely needs replacement.

• Fill the sink. One restaurant advises its unit managers to fill the sink before cleaning pots and pans, instead of letting water run from the tap.

• Don’t use the tap as a defroster. Allow frozen foods to thaw in the refrigerator. 

• Install low-flow pre-rinse valves. Aerator-type devices do as good a job but use less water, the experts say. Find a wide selection of pre-rinse sprayers on Servu-Online. 

See the full article on NRA’s website.

Save Energy with Induction Cooktops

Countertop induction cooktops offer many benefits over other types of restaurant equipment. Countertop induction cooktops can handle essentially every task normally assigned to gas and electric ranges. They can be used to pan fry, sauté, boil water, cook eggs and more. The technology behind these units allows for extremely fast heating, that is even faster than cooking with gas.

Induction cooktops operate by running electricity through an induction coil that produces a high-frequency magnetic field that extends just a few inches above the cooktop. When cookware made of ferrous material (material that reacts to magnetism such as steel, iron, nickel and various alloys), is placed on the cooktop, this magnetic field causes the molecules in the cookware to vibrate, thereby heating the pan.

Since induction cooktops heat cookware through a magnetic field, they produces less heat overall than gas or electric ranges. This helps to lower the ambient temperature of the kitchen, as well as greatly reduce air conditioning costs. This type of cooking technology is also more energy efficient than gas or electric, as up to 90 percent of energy consumed by an induction cooktop goes into heating the cookware.

Countertop induction cooktops can be used in place of gas or electric ranges and burners. Since they can easily be plugged into almost any electrical outlet, they are especially ideal for front-of-the-house applications and such as omelet bars, stir-fry stations, and for catering and buffet services. Also, since induction cooktops don’t utilize open flame or heated ceramic cooking elements, countertop induction cookers greatly reduce the risk of accidental burns to kitchen staff and to customers in a display cooking situation.

Don’t Underestimate the Microwave Oven

A commercial microwave oven can be one of the most indispensable pieces of restaurant equipment in a restaurant kitchen. Commercial microwave ovens differ significantly from their residential counterparts in terms of durability, technology, controls and capacity. Microwave ovens cook, defrost, self-steam and reheat foods. Many operators use microwave ovens in accord with other types of restaurant equipment to speed production and help keep ambient kitchen temperatures low.

Many types of operations, including bars, quick-casual restaurants, banquet halls, hospitals, nursing homes and hotels, use microwaves to defrost and rapidly bring foods back to the proper serving temperature. Microwave ovens can also be used to prepare frozen packaged products, steam seafood and vegetables and cook pastas and certain grains.

Most microwave ovens feature programmable memory pad selectors, multiple-portion touch pads, manual operation capabilities, cycle counters to track oven usage, electronic timers with digital displays, see-through doors and lighted cavities. Many microwave ovens are capable of storing up to 100 cooking programs for easier preparation of best-selling menu items. Some microwave ovens will also adjust the cooking time for pre-programmed menu items when multiple items are being prepared. This feature not only prevents over/undercooking, but also results in more consistent food temperatures and textures.

 Name this pan: it’s a shallow rectangular shape, oven and broiler safe and can also withstand freezing cold, scrubbings and machine washings. Of course, it is the sheet pan. Whether you operate a bakery that moves sheet pans of sugar cookies in and out of your oven, a fine dining restaurant that cooks half sheet pans of roasted vegetables beneath the broiler for the dinner rush, or a catering business that freezes sheet pans full of chocolate-covered strawberries until they are ready for dessert—you probably use this versatile pan.

The list of qualities to look for when it’s time to replace commercial sheet pans is short and sweet. In order to stand up to the heat of your broiler and the chills of your freezer, sheet pans should be durable, and warp and rust resistant.

Lincoln Wear-Ever pans are well-known among the professional community for their sturdy 3003 Aluminum construction. The sheet pans have a sturdy closed bead edge design with 1” sides, making them suitable to both baking and roasting. The natural finish on Lincoln Wear-Ever sheet pans is long-lasting and easy to clean.

Serv-U also carries National Sanitation Foundation certified heavy gauge sheet pans. These Vollrath sheet pans have an open bead edge design, so the surface will not hold water. They are constructed of 3004 extra dent resistant aluminum alloy and are also easily cleaned.

Sheet pans are sold in a range of sizes. Serv-U offers full size sheet pans, half size sheet pans, ¼ and ¾ size sheet pans and the option of solid or perforated. Pick the proper sheet pan and your kitchen can handle any recipe.

Whether you need to weigh strips of chicken before tossing them onto a customer’s Caesar salad or stack cuts of beef onto a scale in your deli, a proper read is important.  Restaurants that have a firm handle on portion control are able to control food costs, minimize waste and increase profit. Accurate deli scales prevent you from cheating the customer or giving them more than what they’ve paid for.

Serv-U carries both mechanical and digital scales to suit your needs and budget and many are NSF certified.

If you prefer a mechanical scale, compact portion control scales by Taylor are designed to give a precise read, while saving valuable kitchen counter space. Edlund’s stainless steel kitchen scales resist rust and are field-recalibratable to ensure accuracy. The Four Star Series features an adjustable air dashpot that acts as a shock absorber to prevent the needle from bouncing once the product is on the scale.

Digital scales have the advantages of “ounces-to-grams” buttons and easy to read displays. The Detecto model is legal for trade, making it ideal for your deli counter. Yamato stainless steel digital scales are USDA accepted and have splash proof housings and keyboards for durability. Avery Berkel manufacturers price computing scales with price-look-up and hot buttons for popular items.

Second to accuracy, sanitation should be a major concern with food scales because they are easy culprits for cross-contamination. In the past, scales were not designed for easy and thorough cleanup. Today, features like stainless steel construction, rust proof finishes, and easy assembly with no loose parts, facilitate sanitation without the use of special tools.

Buying equipment that minimizes the risk of cross contamination and increases efficiency in the operation puts your foodservice establishment in a prime position for long-term growth.

Opening cans in your commercial kitchen should never be a struggle. The commercial manual can opener is quite a simple machine. Electric can openers perform the same function with effortless operation. The basic principle is the same: the knife punctures the metal, the gear then rotates the can, creating an even opening.

The knife on your industrial can opener is intentionally dull and rounded. The knife’s function is to fold the metal, not slice it, thereby providing a smooth rim edge. Regular use sharpens the knife and eventually creates a point. A sharp knife can result in metal shavings being deposited into your food. Avoid this by regularly replacing crucial parts. As a rule of thumb, can opener knives should be replaced every six months and can opener gears should be replaced annually. Serv-U carries replacement parts for many popular models.

The standard manual can opener for the foodservice industry is Edlund’s #1 model. The Edlund #1 commercial can opener has been improved with a new smoother action base design, long wearing spool and rust resistant arbor. Most importantly, the knife is tempered steel and reversible, reducing the need for frequent replacements. The Edlund #1 commercial can opener opens most can shapes and sizes.

If you are looking to save time and labor, consider investing and an Edlund electric can opener. The convenient countertop model slides cans into position for easy opening without lifting. A spring-loaded mechanism will even open dented cans. For convenience without giving up precious counter space, consider the portable electric can opener.

Remember to take into account calculations of opening rate per minute, recommended daily use and can size. Some models are also NSF rated. Save yourself time and energy by having a can opener that can get the job done!