Taste Testing with Students

Try a new peanut recipe with your students to see for yourself just how much they love it. Here are a few tips and tricks for successful recipe taste-testing.

1. Get school staff and parents onboard: Before planning, be sure that you’ve obtained the necessary approvals from relevant school staff to conduct a taste test. Further, be sure parents are aware and have provided permission for their child to participate.

2. Ensure early and ongoing communication: Before the event, be sure to share the recipe, its nutritional values, and its ingredient information (highlighting any allergens) with students, parents, and school staff. At the start of the event, restate the recipe and ingredients and be sure that children with food allergies are not served their food allergen.

3. Select an ideal location for the event: Find a spot that meets your event needs and is convenient for students to access. Consider reserving an empty classroom or the cafeteria when it’s not in use so that tables are available for any discussion, focus groups, or surveys. If you conduct your taste test during meal service, consider the best way to collect feedback to avoid disruption to regular meal service procedures.

Have all your supplies nearby: Be sure you have small plates or cups for serving, napkins, and necessary utensils. You may also wish to include a trash bin nearby for convenience.

4. Serve safely: Have a plan in place to ensure that all food safety protocols are followed by anyone serving samples.

5. Share the ingredients: Be sure to have signage at your table that clearly identifies the ingredients and allergens in the recipe for any students who may avoid certain foods.

6. Plan for feedback: Use a voting or ballot system, worksheets, or other forms of surveying to collect feedback from students. These can include a mix of quantitative data (scores, counts, etc.) or qualitative feedback (open-ended questions, focus groups, etc.).