Serving Healthy School Meals: Staff Development and Training Needs

This study, released by the Pew Charitable Trusts, identifies the areas of training school food service staff need to run a successful program. As school food service authorities work to fully implement USDA’s updated meal standards and improve the quality and appeal of their meals, their personnel need increased access to and opportunities for training and technical assistance to meet the new challenges of their jobs. Additional knowledge and skills would help nutrition professionals manage changes in food service production, such as greater use of scratch cooking, and increased student participation in meal programs, which can lead to greater revenue as a result of increased USDA reimbursement.