Why is weight and volume so confusing? It boils down to one word: “ounce.” An ounce refers to weight, while a fluid ounce refers to volume. The abbreviations look similar—oz and fl oz—and both appear throughout a school kitchen. Scales display ounces. Measuring cups, scoops, spoodles and ladle labels are often shortened to ounces instead of fluid ounce. It is easy to assume they all measure the same thing. They do not. Weight tells us how heavy food is. It is measured in ounc

Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find shelves filled with leadership books. Most teach valuable principles to communicate better, build trust, delegate, motivate, and resolve conflict. The challenge isn’t knowing what great leaders should do. The challenge is building habits that make those actions happen automatically. Leadership only changes when behavior changes. Think about the tasks you never skip. You check food temperatures, verify production records, and lock the co

Most of the spending decisions in a School Nutrition program don’t happen in the office, they happen in the kitchen. The choices made in the kitchen and on the line each day determine whether the program stays on budget, meets USDA requirements, and delivers the healthy, age-appropriate meals students depend on. Portion control may seem like a small task, but it connects everything—from costs to compliance to the trust families place in the menu. It is one of the most importa