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Kentucky District Brings Color and Competition to Meals

The nutrition staff at Hopkins County Schools in western Kentucky is finding new ways to enhance school meals through an effort called Color Counts. The initiative emphasizes colorful fruits and vegetables on cold bars throughout cafeterias. Students choose from options including sweet peppers, broccoli, mixed greens, pineapple and watermelon to add to their meals.

Color Counts was developed as one of a number of programs to help encourage new menu ideas through friendly competitions among nutrition staff. Fostering creativity and celebrating each other’s efforts has led to many positive menu additions for students to enjoy.

TX School Brings Literacy to the Lunchroom With Creative Book Nook

Mealtime now comes with a side of storytelling in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Texas. Thanks to a creative challenge from Suzy Hunter, Director of Nutrition Services, Warner Elementary has transformed a corner of its cafeteria into a cozy Book Nook, giving students the chance to browse and enjoy books during breakfast and lunch.

Teaming up to Enhance Scratch-Made Menus for WA Students

The Ellensburg School District, located in central Washington, is revamping school meals for its 3,300 students across six schools. Working to transform offerings with more scratch-made recipes, vegetarian options and locally sourced meats and produce, the team is now led by a dietitian and chef partnering to develop meals that are nutritious and flavorful.

Together, they have successfully introduced popular dishes such as miso-ginger ramen with tofu or beef, scratch-made Alfredo pasta, vegetarian enchiladas and build-your-own bowls.

Lunchtime celebrations add special experience for students

Across the country, school nutrition teams find creative ways to bring joy and connection to their cafeterias, going beyond simply serving healthy meals. Two districts in the Midwest are taking that mission to new heights with student-centered celebrations that make lunchtime celebrations more meaningful.

Touchless Salad Bar Transforms Lunch at CT High School

Customizing entree salads has gone high tech at one Connecticut high school. Students in Meriden’s Platt High School can now build their own salads without ever handling a pair of tongs thanks to a state-of-the-art touchless salad bar.

Transforming the way healthy meals are served, the bar has streamlined the entree salad service line. Students start with a clamshell base of lettuce and protein – chicken, tuna or marinated mozzarella are common offerings – then move to the touchless bar. Motion sensors dispense toppings like tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, black beans and dried cranberries in precise portions.

Produce Auction Helps PA District Serve Up More Local Foods

“Going once, going twice…sold to the Manheim Township School District!”

That phrase is heard weekly at a local produce auction in Pennsylvania, where the district is working to elevate school meals with a focus on fresh, local produce. The auction features local farms, many from the Amish community, offering colorful, seasonal fruits and vegetables that are bid on to be served in school meals that nourish the district’s 6,200 students.

Teaming Up Nutrition and Athletics to Boost Performance

The Elbert County School District nutrition department in Georgia is demonstrating how a partnership with the athletics department can drive success both on the field and in the cafeteria.

Led by School Nutrition Director Bridgette Matthews, a registered dietitian and sports enthusiast, the initiative links nutrition directly to student-athlete performance.

“When our new football coach joined in 2020, we had a long conversation about changing the culture of the program,” Matthews said. “We knew it started with the basics of good nutrition. What goes in the body is what we get out on the field.”

TX Districts Cultivate Farm to School Connections Through Local Food Hub

Lake Travis ISD and Manor ISD in Texas have reimagined farm-to-school connections through a Food Hub Pilot program.

The collaborative program relies on partnerships with the Central Texas Food Bank for infrastructure and delivery support and the Sustainable Food Center to help align menu forecasting with regional harvests. Connections were made with local farms, including Farmshare Austin, Hope Full Farms and The Refugee Collective, who contributed fresh, organic and sustainably grown foods.

School Meal Planners Share Lunch Tray Ideas for the Fall

Earlier this summer, Alamo City served up more than just Tex-Mex; it provided inspiration and fresh recipe ideas to fuel school nutrition teams from across the country.

More than 6,000 school nutrition professionals gathered in San Antonio from July 13–15 for the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) Annual National Conference (ANC), the largest event of its kind in the country. ANC gave attendees a firsthand look at the tools, techniques, and tastes shaping the school meals.

School meal planners filled the nation’s largest exhibit hall in school nutrition to visit nearly 360 exhibits. From the moment doors opened, attendees sampled new recipes, foods and beverages for lunch trays, previewed cutting-edge kitchen equipment to help prepare and serve meals and exchanged ideas on replicating restaurant trends to meet school nutrition guidelines.

A Coast-to-Coast Look at Summer Meal Programs

Commitment to student health and nutrition doesn’t stop during summer break. Across the country, school nutrition professionals work diligently throughout the summer to ensure that children continue to receive the nourishment they need. Meal service locations are identified in communities to try reach children where the need for nutrition, from school campuses and city parks to rural routes of mobile meal delivery.

Some inspiring examples of how districts are fueling kids this summer include: