Retailers continue to expand prepared food offerings while gaining ground on restaurants.

Consumers taking part in a recent survey conducted by Chicago-based trend-tracker Technomic say they are sourcing prepared meals from a wider range of retail foodservice operations than they were two years ago, many times at the expense of restaurants. Traditional supermarkets, convenience stores and mass merchandisers have been able to grow their share of the food-away-from-home market as they expand their foodservice platforms and build upon consumer desire for convenience, quality and variety of offerings in retail locations.

Chefs desire global cuisines, whole grains, versatility and U.S.-grown.

According to proprietary research conducted by the Arlington, Va.-based USA Rice Federation among 500 chefs and operators, U.S.-grown rice usage continues to trend upwards on menus because of growing demand for ethnic cuisines, increased appeal of whole grains, rice’s versatility and chef/operators’ support of America’s farmers and the economy. Nearly 90% of chefs and operators report that they currently menu rice, and more than half say their usage of rice will increase in the coming year.

By Brent T. Frei

Snack orders—either as a fourth meal of the day or replacing one of the three squares—are increasing in foodservice.

Perhaps more than any other campaign by a foodservice entity, Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Louisville, Ky.-based YUM! Brands with 5,600 stores nationwide, in 2006 gave Americans permission to indulge in a fourth meal each day without guilt with its “fourthmeal” campaign. The concept also raised consciousness of what we’re eating at each meal. While breakfast all day was last year’s trend, this year, snacking is literally meal-replacement, according to The Food Channel in conjunction with CultureWaves®, the International Food Futurists and Mintel International.

By Lynn Schwartz

Thanks to Whole Foods Market, Scott Crawford is able to utilize all of his skills while practicing what he believes in.

Scott Crawford works for a company that has a strong commitment to sustainable agriculture. The company searches for the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful and naturally preserved foods. They believe that food in its purest state is the best tasting and most nutritious. Based on this commitment, one might assume that Crawford works for a small, high-end restaurant, but actually, this is the philosophy of Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market. And Crawford is the prepared-foods coordinator of the mid-Atlantic Region. The company’s dedication to food, people and planet, unique for the grocery industry, is what gave Crawford the courage to change his culinary direction and join an organization with 54,000 team members (their term for employees) and more than 300 stores.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

A seminar can be a great place to push students’ thinking and provide them with a different educational experience.

Last month, we discussed using how to make large classes seem small and less intimidating to students; this month, we will talk about the delight of some faculty members and the fear of others: teaching seminar classes, courses most often with fewer students and focused on specific, limited themes or topics.

Definition of a Seminar
Of course, many colleges have used the word seminar to distinguish certain courses as in Freshman Seminar or Major Seminar, often courses with large enrollments that have nothing to do with the original conception of seminar. However, most seminar courses are typically organized around a single topic or set of topics, they involve fewer students (often just enough to sit around a table or in a circle), and they require an approach to teaching and learning different than the typical lecture and discussion. Those of you who have had a chance to teach seminar courses know how different the experience can be and often how critical it is to help students adjust to this alternative structure.