ESK to Participate in Project: Clean Plate – Keeping Hunger in Mind

In partnership with Flik Independent School Dining, students at The Episcopal School of Knoxville will participate in Project: Clean Plate, beginning Monday, November 2, as a way to reduce food waste at the school.

The concept behind Project: Clean Plate is to create awareness among students about unnecessary food waste as each meal and to encourage students to significantly reduce the amount of food waste at that campus. Returning a “clean plate” is the basis of this program to educate students how much of the food they put on their plate ends up being throw out in the garbage. The program also promotes healthy eating by education students about over consumption and portion control.

“Project: Clean Plate provides a great opportunity for us to make students aware of the amount of food waste they create and the impact that can have on the greater community and the world,” ESK Chef Erin O’Connor said. “It is important for students to understand the role they can play in the fight against hunger.”

Prior to the start of the project, students in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade visited with Chef Erin O’Connor to learn about the importance of portion control, recycling and manners when coming through the lunch line. Students also toured the kitchen to see where their food is prepared each day. Beginning Monday, staff and students will measure food waste at lunch on a daily and weekly basis until Friday, December 4. Weekly winners will receive a small prize with the overall winning grade earning a pizza party prior to winter break.

“It’s not your grandmother’s idea of eating everything on your plate,” ESK Lower School Director Nancy Laurence said. “We are trying to help the students make a connection between how much they put on their plate and how much they will actually eat. When strawberries look delicious, it’s tempting to take too much. We are encouraging children to take a serving and then come back for seconds.”

When the Project: Clean Plate program is first introduced on a campus, the goal is to reduce food waste by at least 10% during the first week. The project originated from a hunger campaign program developed by a Resident District Manager at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.

Flik Independent School Dining, a division of the Charlotte, NC-based Compass Group, provides dining services for 137 private schools nationwide. Its team of food and nutrition experts is dedicated entirely to creating fun, healthful and innovative dining solutions for private and independent school communities. Fresh, healthful food preparation utilizing batch cooking techniques and locally and sustainably sourced ingredients has always been the cornerstone of the company’s operating philosophy.