School food has become increasingly more processed and less healthy. With the right knowledge and tools, schools can transform their kitchens and lunchrooms to support student health, wellbeing, and academic success.

Recipes and menus are the heart of school food change. These recipes have been developed by school food professionals, kid-tested, and perfected in school kitchens.

Management is a general term for: fiscal management, human resources, facilities, assessment, and wellness policies. In order for a district’s food service department to be successful, the director has to be adept in a vast array of subjects.

Procurement is one of the most complex processes within food service departments. In the event of shifting a program from using processed, ready-to-heat foods to scratch cooked recipes, many processes change.

Marketing in food service ranges from finding local sponsors, to creating a brand and promotional materials, to hosting Junior Chef competitions, to engaging students in cooking and menu design.

Lunchroom education activities engage students with food-focused learning opportunities. Explore the wide world of fun food programs!

This section is dedicated to the “Big Ideas” - areas we think make a huge impact and will play a large role in the future of school food.

Through our grant programs, we award special funding to schools that are committed to making real, positive changes to their food programs.