By: Danielle Roller & Kirstin Hayes-Hand

Buffalo Chicken Salad

*Chicken breast (boneless & skinless)

*Buffalo Sauce

*Apple

*Celery

*Corn

*Cherry Tomatoes

*Romaine Salad blend

*Homemade low fat ranch dressing

*Whole wheat dinner roll

Final Product

$1.21

Nutritional Goals for High School Lunch

Food Group Requirement

Meat/Meat Alternative

1.6-2.4 oz

Milk 8 fl oz

Grains 1.8-2.6 oz

Vegetables ¾-1 cup

Fruit ½-1 cup

Nutritional Goals for High School

Lunch Nutrient Requirements

Sodium <740 mg

Calories 750-850

Total fat 2% of calories

Saturated fat 3% of calories

Protein 16 g

ChallengesSODIUM

To lower the sodium: Reduced amount of buffalo sauce used Switched from bottled ranch dressing to homemade ranch dressing. Switched to a low sodium dressing mix

APPLESOur first school testing day, many kids commented on how the apples were their least favorite in the salad. So apples were cut into tinier pieces, and incorporated into the dressing.

Cost was originally too high because of the Greek yogurt. We decided to go with the low fat plain yogurt because it would help decrease the cost from $1.75/serving to $1.21/serving, and also figured it would actually have a better consistency in relation to salad dressing.

COST

Nutrient ComparisonOriginal

SaladCalories- 825

Protein- 20

Carbohydrate- 38g

Total Fat- 28g

Saturated Fat- 4g

Cholesterol- 74mg

Vitamin A-11048 IU

Vitamin C- 32.8mg

Iron- 2.5mg

Calcium- 87mg

Sodium- 1628mg

Fiber- 6g

Final Salad

Calories- 293

Protein- 24g

Carbohydrate- 41g

Total Fat- 5g

Saturated Fat- 2g

Cholesterol- 40mg

Vitamin A- 8876 IU

Vitamin C-35mg

Iron- 2.4mg

Calcium- 273 mg

Sodium- 542mg

Fiber-6.8g

Recipe ComparisonOriginal

Salad2 C romaine lettuce

2 T celery

5 cherry tomatoes

½ C chopped apple

2 T cheddar cheese

3 oz. skinless, boneless chicken

2 T buffalo sauce

½ C Greek yogurt

1 tsp. ranch dressing mix

2 T tortilla chips

8 fl. oz. skim milk

Final Salad

2 C romaine lettuce

2 T celery

3 cherry tomatoes

1 small apple

2 T corn

1.5 oz. skinless, boneless chicken

½ T buffalo sauce

¼ C low fat yogurt

1 tsp. low sodium ranch dressing mix

1 whole wheat dinner roll

8 fl. oz. skim milk

Original Salad= $1.75

2 C romaine lettuce

$0.28

2 T celery $0.05

5 cherry tomatoes $0.16

½ C chopped apple

$0.35

2 T cheddar cheese

Commodity

3 oz. skinless, boneless chicken

Commodity

2 T buffalo sauce $0.12

½ C Greek yogurt $0.34

1 tsp. ranch dressing mix

B list item

2 T tortilla chips $0.27

8 fl. oz. skim milk $0.18

Final Salad= $1.21

2 C romaine lettuce $0.28

2 T celery $0.05

3 cherry tomatoes $0.08

1 small apple $0.20

2 T corn $0.04

1.5 oz. skinless, boneless chicken

Commodity

½ T buffalo sauce $0.03

¼ C low fat yogurt $0.10

1 tsp. low sodium ranch dressing mix

B list item

1 whole wheat dinner roll

$0.25

8 fl. oz. skim milk $0.18

Economic Comparison

Weekly Progression Graph

original recipe

week 4 recipe

week 6 recipe

final recipe

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

sodium (mg)fat (g)calories

Final Product

Production

Final Data Collection Tool

How did the salad taste? Bad Good Awesome

How spicy was the salad? Too spicy Good Not spicy enough

Was there enough dressing on the salad? No Yes

Would you eat this salad again? No Yes

How did the salad taste?

BadGood Awesome

How spicy was the salad?

Too spicy

Good

Not spicy enough

Would you eat this salad again?

NoYes

Was there enough dressing?

NoYes

Fat Content

Tortilla Chips

*High fat content with tortilla chips (28g)

Cheese

*High fat content with cheese (10g)

*High meat component (3.4 oz.)

Corn

*Fat content acceptable (2g)

*Meat component acceptable (2.4oz.)

Overall Cost

Nutrition & Cost Influences

*Total calories = 293

*Minimum requirement= 750

*Final cost = $1.21

*Maximum cost allowed= $1.25

Conclusions

*Difficult to make meals for kids that are likeable and healthy

*Sodium increases so easily

*Really hard for schools to meet USDA nutrition requirements with the small budget they are given