School Meals Matter Blog

The holidays bring excitement, special events, and moments of joy—but they also bring stress. Routines change, classrooms feel different, and emotions run higher for both students and staff. Some students carry worries we never see, and many struggle with the unpredictability this season brings. In the middle of all that, the cafeteria becomes one of the most steady, comforting places in their day. That’s why the holiday season is a time when school nutrition teams should do

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

Imagine if every kitchen in your district ran like a well-coordinated team—each station set up the same way, every task done with confidence, and no one wasting time guessing what to do next. That’s what happens when teams work together to build solutions that actually work. Standardizing the way we do things doesn’t take away creativity—it removes confusion. When everyone follows the same proven process, the day runs smoother, the food looks and tastes better, and the job fe

If you’ve ever stood in the storage room wondering how much to order, you know how easy it is to fall back on guesswork—or the familiar phrase, “I think we’re low.” Unfortunately, that kind of estimating often leads to one of two costly problems: running out or overstocking. Using par levels to guide ordering for daily-use items is a simple but powerful system that eliminates guesswork, saves time, and keeps your inventory in balance. What Are Par Levels? A par level is the t

Filling open positions in school nutrition programs is harder than ever, but your best recruiters may already be on the payroll. Employees know the job, the schedule, and the culture better than anyone—and they’re connected to parents, retirees, students, and community members who value flexible school-day work. By offering a clear incentive, such as a $100–$250 bonus once a new hire completes 90 days, you turn your team’s pride and word-of-mouth into a powerful hiring engine

In a school cafeteria, everything moves fast from the first breakfast to the last lunch served. But have you ever stopped to wonder what...