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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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
Fresh 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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Our grants and programs help schools serve students fresher, healthier, and tastier meals.

Visit Overview
Get Schools Cooking
Salad Bars to Schools
Healthy School Food Pathway
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Nacho Seasoned Lentil Crumbles

RECIPE DETAILS

Item ID: 1978292

Serving Size: ½ Cup

HACCP Process Category:
#2 - Same Day Service

Food Category: Lunch Entree

Attributes: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Vegan, Beans, Peas, Lentils

Allergens: None

RECIPE DETAILS

Item ID: 1978292

Serving Size: ½ Cup

HACCP Process Category:
#2 - Same Day Service

Food Category: Lunch Entree

Attributes: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Vegan, Beans, Peas, Lentils

Allergens: None

Ingredients

To scale a recipe, change the “Standard Yield” number, then click the “Scale” button. To return to the default standard batch size, click the “Reset” button. We recommend scaling batch sizes to be compatible with your equipment and operational model. Since seasonings are particularly affected by increased scaling, we recommend taste-testing as you increase quantities.

Ingredients list for this recipe is unavailable.

Ingredients used in the recipes are commonly found USDA Foods or commercially available products. All ingredients for each recipe are listed in “As purchased” quantities. Ingredient yields from USDA’s Food Buying Guide can be found at the top of the Recipe Instructions when applicable.

Instructions

Yields

  • Onion: 78%

Pre-Preparation

  1. Wash produce as needed.
  2. Cut off ends and remove skin from onions, then dice into small cubes.

Preparation

  1. In a tilt skillet set over medium heat, add oil and cook onions for about 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
  2. Stir in lentil crumbles, oregano, paprika, and water.
  3. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixture has a chili-like consistency and the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
  4. Hold hot until service at or above 135°F.

Serving

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Suggested serving utensil: spoodle

Additional serving suggestions: serve with tortilla chips, brown rice, and/or a salad

Recipe Source

Sourced via Partnership with the CIA Healthy Kids Collaborative

 

We recommend that any recipe selected for use in your district be tested in your kitchens before adding it to your menu. Recipe testing ensures that the methods and yields are compatible when prepared with your equipment. Since seasonings are particularly affected by scaling recipes, we highly recommend taste testing as you adjust quantities.

Food Groups/Meal Patterns

Based on default serving size and measure.

Meal Pattern Amount Per Serving
Fruits 0 cups
Vegetables, Dark Green 0 cups
Vegetables, Red/Orange 0 cups
Vegetables, Beans, Peas, & Lentils 0 cups
Vegetables, Starchy 0 cups
Vegetables, Other 0 cups
Vegetables, Additional 0 cups
Grains 0 oz eq
Meat/Meat Alternatives 2.25 oz eq
Fluid Milk 0 cups

Nutrition Facts

Based on default serving size and measure.

Nutrients Serving
Calories 226.60 kcal
Total Fat 9.50 gm
Saturated Fat 1.14 gm
Trans Fat 0.00* gm
Sodium 327.58 mg
Carbohydrates 25.22 gm
Fiber 6.62 gm
Sugars 0.94 gm
Added Sugars 0.00* gm

*May vary depending on individual product(s) used in recipe.

Discover More

Menu Development

When we change from ready-to-heat foods to fresh foods in the context of menu planning, letting go of prior presumptions is important. Determining the amount of choices and how many per each age group are examples of menu planning challenges. Efficient, fiscally sustainable scratch-cooking programs are reducing choices in favor of fresh flavors.

Learn More

Management

Management is a general term for all of the areas we include here: fiscal, 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.

Learn More

Procurement

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

Learn More

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