Not Just Meat and Potatoes: Rethinking the Potato in School Nutrition

When you think of school lunch classics, potatoes are probably somewhere near the top of the list.

French fries. Mashed potatoes. Potato wedges. Loaded potato bowls.

They’re familiar, versatile, and, most importantly, students actually want to eat them.

On a recent episode of NutriSnart SNAX, Maureen Pisanick sat down with Jim Copp of McCain Foods to talk about why the humble potato may deserve a little more attention when school nutrition professionals are building menus.

And as Jim pointed out, this isn't just about meat and potatoes. It’s about finding foods that can check multiple boxes at once: student acceptance, nutrition standards, operational performance, versatility, and even revenue generation.

Start With What Students Want to Eat

One of the biggest challenges in school nutrition is also one of the simplest:

It’s not nutrition unless they eat it.

A nutritionally perfect menu doesn't accomplish much if students aren't choosing it or eating it.

That makes familiar foods a valuable starting point for innovation.

Potatoes can provide that familiarity while giving school nutrition teams plenty of room to experiment. Jim shared that McCain offers more than 40 commodity-eligible potato products, with more than 20 meeting Smart Snacks standards.

Instead of asking, “Should potatoes be on the menu?” the better question may be:

“What else can we do with them?”

Think Beyond the Side Dish

Mashed potatoes don't have to sit quietly next to the entrée.

They can become part of it.

During the conversation, Maureen and Jim discussed using mashed potatoes in a shepherd's pie and other center-of-the-plate concepts. They also explored using crispy potato wedges as the base for loaded dishes instead of traditional tots.

Think chili and cheese over seasoned wedges. Build a Tex-Mex-inspired potato bowl. Create a poutine-inspired concept with gravy and toppings. Use potatoes as the foundation of a customizable bar.

One familiar ingredient can become the starting point for entirely different menu experiences.

That's particularly valuable as schools look for ways to keep cycle menus interesting without continually adding ingredients, equipment, or complicated preparation procedures.

Build the Experience, Not Just the Menu

Today's students are accustomed to customization.

They see it at fast-casual restaurants everywhere: choose a base, add a protein, pick your toppings, finish with a sauce.

School cafeterias can borrow from that experience.

Jim highlighted crispy potato products as particularly well suited for bar concepts because schools can start with the potato as the base and allow students to build from there.

A potato bar could include options such as chili, cheese sauce, taco meat, vegetables, gravy, herbs, or other toppings already being used elsewhere on the menu.

That means you're not necessarily reinventing your inventory.

You're reinventing how students experience it.

Your Signature Fry Matters

There's a reason people have strong opinions about which restaurant has the best French fries.

The fry matters.

Jim and Maureen discussed the opportunity for schools to think similarly about creating a signature fry - a product students recognize, enjoy, and expect to see alongside popular concepts such as burger bars.

McCain's Crispy Bake products, for example, are designed with seasoning that can work across K–12: enough flavor to appeal to older students without being overpowering for younger students.

Consistency matters here.

Students know what their favorite foods taste like outside of school. When they see something familiar on the cafeteria menu, they're bringing those expectations with them.

Meeting those expectations can help turn an ordinary menu day into something students look forward to.

Crispy Food Needs the Right Operations

Of course, putting fries on a menu and serving good fries are two different things.

School kitchens have a unique operational challenge. Some cafeterias serve lunch for hours, across multiple lunch periods. Food may need to be produced in batches, transported, held, and served without access to a traditional fryer.

That's where product selection and preparation procedures matter.

Jim explained that coatings and seasonings can help fries bake crispy and maintain their quality during holding. He also offered an important operational reminder: steam is the enemy of crispiness.

Covering fries tightly during holding can trap steam and quickly compromise their texture. Instead, kitchens should use holding equipment and settings designed for crispy foods whenever possible.

It's a small operational detail that can make a big difference in what ultimately lands on a student's tray.

Tell the Story Behind the Food

Families may see “French fries” on a school menu and immediately make assumptions about nutrition.

That's why school nutrition programs shouldn't be afraid to tell the story behind the products they serve.

During the podcast, Maureen and Jim discussed ingredient statements, sodium, Smart Snacks compliance, and the growing interest in simpler or “clean label” foods. Jim noted that McCain's approach has long been to avoid unnecessary ingredients while developing products specifically for school foodservice.

That creates an opportunity for nutrition programs to communicate more than the name of the food.

Explain why a product was selected. Talk about nutrition standards. Highlight how products fit within a balanced meal. Help parents understand the thought that goes into building a school menu.

Don't let your school nutrition program be its own best-kept secret.

Potatoes in School Nutrition Can Work for the Budget, Too

Every menu decision eventually comes back to the numbers.

Food costs continue to matter, and school nutrition programs increasingly need to think about participation, revenue, and profitability alongside nutrition and student satisfaction.

Potatoes can offer an interesting combination.

They're familiar. They're versatile. Students like them. And, according to Jim, their relatively low per-portion cost can make certain potato products particularly useful for à la carte programs.

He gave a simple example during the conversation: a portion costing roughly $0.25–$0.30 that might sell à la carte for $1.00–$1.25.

The exact numbers will vary by district, distributor, product, and portion size, but the larger lesson is important:

Menu strategy and financial strategy don't have to be separate conversations.

A product students genuinely want can help drive participation or à la carte revenue while still fitting within the nutritional and operational requirements of a school meal program.

Sometimes Innovation Starts With Something Familiar

Innovation doesn't always mean finding the newest or most unusual ingredient.

Sometimes it means looking at something you've served for years and asking:

What else could we do with this?

Turn mashed potatoes into shepherd's pie.

Turn seasoned wedges into a loaded entrée.

Build a potato bar.

Develop a signature fry.

Use a Smart Snacks-compliant product to strengthen your à la carte program.

Or simply improve your preparation and holding procedures so the fry served during the last lunch period is just as appealing as the one served during the first.

The potato might be familiar.

What you do with it doesn't have to be.

And whether we're talking potatoes, vegetables, entrées, or an entirely new menu concept, Jim and Maureen landed on a principle worth remembering:

It's not nutrition unless they eat it.

Want more conversations about innovative ideas, products, and strategies in school nutrition? Follow Pisanick Partners and NutriSmart SNAX podcast as we continue connecting school nutrition professionals with ideas they can put into action.

To hear the full conversation with Jason and explore more insights like these, tune into the latest episode by searching for NutriSmart SNAX podcast your favorite podcast platform or watch the Episode on YouTube.