stephenwinbaum
Communications Coordinator
/ Moderator
Apr 19, 2005, 1:11 PM
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Summer's Veggie Vision
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A special message to camp owners and directors.
It's not too late to get with the program - the teen vegetarian program.
Teens, with their youthful ideals and their search for positive values, still connect to vegetarianism as an alternative. That's not surprising considering the interest in holistic diets and health foods that have sprouted up in the last several decades.
But campers' interest in vegetarianism could affect the way camps respond to everybody’s summer dietary needs.
Consider the following scenario from an ACA article by Viki Kappel Spain:
The buses pull into camp, and a hundred hungry campers converge on the dining hall for an orientation and a delicious hamburger lunch. Everything is ready - smiles and clean aprons are on - and all seems well for the first-time group. Just as the food is being served, fifteen campers and counselors come running to the serving window with panic-stricken faces. "We don't eat beef! Do you have anything else for us to eat?" they exclaim, throwing an embarrassing wrench in the unprepared camp kitchen operation.
Spain writes that the ability of camps to respond to the changing dietary needs of campers is an exercise in good customer relations - addressing special requests with a positive attitude.
The upside of summer camp vegetarianism is the potential savings for camp owners.
David Rubin, founder and president of Camp Cuisine, writes that menu alternatives and additions should be vegetarian dishes that are less expensive than the main offering.
He continues with his cost-saving proposition: A person who chooses rice and chili over meat is saving camp owners money. Two hundred people choosing a potato knish instead of another burger and bun are also saving owners money.
Rubin's vision is to offer campers and staff as many appealing, healthy, and cost-effective foods as possible. Careful use of leftovers from the main menu, and adjustments of purchased and prepared amounts are a camp's first attempt at offering menu alternatives. He suggests preparing large amounts of vegetarian food, like stir-fry, and freezing them in meal-sized portions prior to camp's opening.
Teen camper vegetarianism doesn’t have to be uncharted territory. It's a challenge to camp owners and directors, and a positive alternative for campers seeking to change their diets and their lives.
"Meeting the Special Dietary Needs of All Camps Guests" by Viki Kappel Spain is a Camp Trends Article reproduced by permission of the American Camp Association
"Saving money with menu alternatives - camp food service" is reprinted from Camping Magazine by permission of the American Camp Association, www.ACAcamps.org; copyright 1998 by the American Camping Association, Inc.@
Stephen Winbaum is the Communications Coordinator of mySummerCamps.com
stephen@mySummerCamps.com
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(This post was edited by stephenwinbaum on Apr 7, 2006, 8:55 AM)
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