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.

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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. 
 

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Why Scratch Cooking?

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.

Visit Overview
About Chef Ann Foundation
FAQ

Recipes & Menus

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. 
 

Visit Overview
What is Scratch Cooking?
Recipes
Raw Animal Proteins
Menu Development
Menu Cycles
Menu Templates

Management

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.

Visit Overview
Roadmap for the School Year
Fiscal Management
Emergency Resources
Human Resources
Staff Appreciation
Professional Development
Training Videos
School Food Institute
Healthy School Food Pathway
Central Kitchens
Facilities
HACCP
Assessment & Next Steps
Wellness Policy & Smart Snacks
Local Wellness Policy
Smart Snacks in Schools
Tools & Resources
SOPs

Procurement

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.

Visit Overview
Getting Started
The K-12 Food System
Values-Aligned Procurement
Examples of Values-Aligned Procurement
Tools & Resources

Marketing

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

Visit Overview
Branding Your Program
District Communications
Social Media Toolkit
Partnerships
Posters & Signs

Lunchroom Education

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

Visit Overview
Tastings
Rainbow Days
Art Contests
Chef Demonstrations
Junior Chef Competitions
Farm to School
Volunteers & Interns

Fresh Food Initiatives

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.

Visit Overview
Salad Bars
Best Practices
Assessment & Planning
Recipes & Layouts
Training & Operations
Tools & Resources
School Breakfast
Getting Started
Operations
Menu Development
Marketing
Tools & Resources
Sustainable Lunchrooms
Plant Forward
Plant Forward Recipes
Case Study
Waste Reduction
Tools & Resources

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Troy Public Schools

District Details

Troy, Montana

District Enrollment: 400

District F/R: 70%

District ADP: 65%

Production Model: Scratch Cook

School Year Implemented: 2014-2015

# of Grants Awarded: 1

District Details

Troy, Montana

District Enrollment: 400

District F/R: 70%

District ADP: 65%

Production Model: Scratch Cook

School Year Implemented: 2014-2015

# of Grants Awarded: 1

Participating Schools

Troy Junior and Senior High School
Age Group: 6 - 8,9 - 12
School Size: Small (Under 300)
School Environment: Rural
School F/R: 70%
School ADP: 55%

Project Description

Fruit and Vegetable Tastings Show Clear Winners

Troy Junior and Senior High used a fruit and vegetable tasting in the cafeteria to encourage students to try something new, but also to poll students on their favorite choices. Once a quarter, students “voted” for their favorite new fruit or vegetable at the school salad bar by sampling a variety of new offerings.

Food services staff prepared more of the favorite item and served it up as a fresh, healthy snack after school to all interested students. This snack proved to be very popular with students heading to extracurricular activities, and helped to keep them moving after the bell rang.

Kris Newton, food services director and district coordinator for Project Produce, emphasized the importance of engaging district leadership in projects like these.

Food services staff prepared more of the favorite item and served it up as a fresh, healthy snack after school to all interested students. This snack proved to be very popular with students heading to extracurricular activities, and helped to keep them moving after the bell rang.

Kris Newton, food services director and district coordinator for Project Produce, emphasized the importance of engaging district leadership in projects like these.

The Superintendent is 100 percent in favor of this. He is always involved and encourages the students to try all.
Kris Newton, Food Services Director

Successes

  • Students were much more eager to try fresh fruits and vegetables than food service staff had originally anticipated.

Challenges

  • It was a challenge to keep food waste to a minimum in the cafeteria.

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