School Nutrition Menu Planning Guide

TIMELINE

January

Establish base menu length for the upcoming school year.

• Determine cycle plan length (2-, 3-, or 4-week cycle plan).

• Determine best days for menu items/recipes.

o Considerations:

 When to avoid complicated recipes or heavy production:

• Delivery Days – time will be allotted to receiving and storage.

• Mondays – the kitchen is reopening following the weekend.

 Menu produce based on delivery day and shelf life.

 Consider the average quantity used for production and menu accordingly to avoid waste.

• Example - fresh cilantro – menu throughout the week.

 Consider equipment – balance oven, steamer, and warmer space for example.

• Set menu program expectations.

o Include toppings, condiments, fruit and vegetable variety in cycle plans.

o Include finishing touches and packaging/pans for service in recipes.

• Plan times to substitute in special items:

o Promotions, seasons, Harvest of the Month, holidays, limited time offers, etc.

o Create a promotion calendar.

 Include dates when volume of items/ingredients need to be increased for special recipes.

• This will help with forecasting and communication between school and vendors.

 Include dates for communicating with managers and kitchen teams.

• Provide recipes, any marketing materials, dates to be served, and menu placement.

• Create and test standardized recipes.

o Include food safety steps, photos, packaging/pans for service, finishing touches, batch cooking steps, and tips/notes.

• Forecast menu projections and estimated quantities.

• Plan tentative student taste taste/feedback opportunities for the upcoming school year.

• Plan feedback opportunities for managers and kitchen teams.

o Identify any slight menu adjustments, placement, and recipe clarifications.

Post School Nutrition solicitations for USDA Foods Processing items if posting separately or include with other solicitations as early as possible in February. For USDA foods items sent for further processing to a manufacturer, you need to procure a contract with that manufacturer. You should include a realistic estimate of the quantity of each item you anticipate purchasing for the term of the contract. However, actual purchases may be contingent on the availability of the USDA Foods items used in producing the end product.

The solicitation should clearly state this. If soliciting both USDA Foods processed and commercial products on the same solicitation, include the total quantity needed, with language that requires delivery of the processed item whenever USDA Foods are available.

February

Post School Nutrition solicitations for menu items, paper items, small wares, equipment, etc.

• Must identify best internal timelines for meeting local requirements/needs, but often this occurs around February for the following school year.

March/April

• Award solicitations.

April/May

• Evaluate planned menu based on solicitation response.

June

• Communicate estimated quantities to vendors.

• Establish regular communication/checkpoint timelines for upcoming school year with all vendors. Quarterly check-ins are best practice. This is an opportunity to discuss what is working well, what is not working, and any timelines for needed changes.

• Create published menu to share on website, with parents, teachers, and community.

o This menu is designed to build excitement and highlight what’s special.

o Examples –

 Rather than “chicken biscuit” consider, “all-white chicken breast, seasoned to perfection, and served on a freshly baked whole grain buttermilk biscuit.”

 Rather than “strawberries,” consider, “sweet and delicious, Georgia grown strawberries.”

July

• Analyze base menus and schedule them in software program.

August/September

• Analyze current food costs.

• Based on participation, student feedback, kitchen feedback, trends, marketplace happenings, begin noting any menu refreshes to happen for second half of first semester and/or second semester.

o Repeat summer steps to ensure smooth transition.

October

• Continue to review data on current menus and plan for adjustments. Consider current food cost, usage, and acceptability of menu by students.

Ongoing

• Review menu execution, presentation, training needs, culinary trends, and new product availability.

• Set meetings with vendors/farmers to discuss new menu items. Talk to vendors/farmers 3-4 months prior to menu day or needed time for solicitation updates.

• Update menu analysis as needed when making menu week changes.

• Make planning notes for the next school year throughout the current year.

o Conduct student taste tests, recipe tests with kitchens, and capture recipe photos.

• Monitor participation levels related to menus and adjust menus to foster student engagement and participation growth.

• Ensure menu items are produced properly, batch cooked, complete (finishing touches, condiments, toppings), flavorful, and presented well.

o Train as needed.

Culinary Standards

• Consider equipment, smallware, and packaging availability for production and service.

• Consider serving line smallwares and packaging:

o Think of line design, food quality, and presentation.

 Prioritize packaging that makes sense for food texture.

 Avoid 6” hotel pans which lead to poor presentation and food quality issues.

 Avoid sheet pans and plastic pan liners on serving lines.

• Note the labor needed to prepare and serve menu.

o Work with kitchens on work schedules, production schedules, and kitchen efficiencies.

 Train as needed.

• Ensure cross utilization of culinary techniques and ingredients.

• Ensure menu culinary integrity.

o Consider flavor, presentation, texture, condiments, finishing touches, and toppings.

 Provide training, as needed.

• Design menus that meet regulations, consider nutrition, and feature Harvest of the Month and seasonal ingredients. Menus should be those that can be served safely, utilize USDA products, and are complete from a culinary standpoint.

• Incorporate preparation steps to be done in advance.

• Provide culinary training and professional development regularly.

Engagement Opportunities

Students

Sample questions to ask:

• What are some items that you would like to see on menus?

• What would you like to see more of on the menus?

• What do you want to see less of on the menus?

• Where do you eat when you aren’t at school?

• If you pack your lunch, what’s in it?

Keep it open-ended and casual. They are more likely to engage with you if you are relaxed.

• Make connections to the classroom- agriculture education, farm to school inspirations, etc.

• Send an email to principals looking for groups of students to meet with including both students who eat school meals and students who do not.

• Focus groups- menu committee: Incorporate student voice and feedback into menu ideas (with training and guidance) -- “student inspired” or “student approved” meals. Allow students to vote for favorites.

• Consider developing a student advisory committee that represents the student population and routinely meet to develop relationships and obtain valuable feedback.

School Nutrition Professionals

Sample questions to ask:

• What to remove? Why? What to add? Why?

• Create a process for training on new menu items and getting feedback. Does the team need to learn new culinary techniques or presentation ideas? Does the team have ideas to share?

• Consider equipment guidance when planning menus.

• Provide guidance on how to communicate with students about menu items.

• Provide published menus and marketing materials.

Brokers and Manufacturers

Be open and honest.

Sample questions to ask:

• Is this item stocked at my distributor?

• Is there an ample quantity available?

• Who else is using this product that is like my district?

• For eligible items: Is there a commodity version of this product? ?

• Request nutrition label, crediting statement, case size, shelf life and storage information.

• Ask for marketplace data and trend reports.

• Request recipe concepts, training materials for product production, and cross utilization opportunities, if any.

• Inform vendors what items you are looking for and what’s important in an item you would consider purchasing.

• Share your program’s vision and goals. This helps vendors know what might interest you.

Parents

• Send email to Principals looking for groups of parents to meet with, including both students who eat school meals and students who do not . Consider meeting virtually.

• Ensure communication with parents through Principals.

• Utilize parent engagement opportunities (Back-to-School Nights, Meet-n-Greets, Family Fun Nights, Wellness Events, etc.) to share with parents about the school meal program and what is offered.

• Ask parents what they are looking for in school meals.

• Ensure parents have access to published menus.

Teachers

• Manager and/or School Nutrition Director can attend teacher/staff meeting at the beginning of the school year to share program updates and reminders. This is a great opportunity to share information about new menu items and thank them for their support.