Whether the topic is school breakfast, meal patterns, or school nutrition in general, the number one request we hear from you—our readers—is for more resources. We all know how important our own continuing education is when it comes to school nutrition, and having a great cache of resources at your fingertips can make all the difference. If you have a favorite website, Facebook page, or organization please leave a link and/or their name in the comments section, or share it with our fans on Facebook.
The USDA MyPlate website is an amazing source for nutrition information, where you will find everything from videos, to sample menus, to printable materials to help you in your school nutrition program. Check out their Tip of the Day feature, and don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter!
Given the implementation of the new meal patterns, menuing has been a top concern for many school nutrition professionals. Creating new recipes, and adjusting old favorites to meet the meal patterns is an oft-discussed topic among directors, managers, and their staffs. Here are some places for you to start looking:
- National Dairy Council: The National Dairy Council has posted sample menus for all grade levels, as well as nutrient information.
- School Nutrition Association: A collection of menu resources, compiled by SNA, from USDA. In addition to fact sheets and food buying guides, you will find traditional food-based, enhanced food-based, and nutrient standard menu planning resources. This is an essential list—bookmark this page!
- USDA: Go directly to the source with these guides from USDA. This page will also lead you to other resources you may find useful, such as Legislation, Regulations, and Food Safety resources.
Some of you are feeling confident about the direction you are moving in terms of lunch menus, and are now taking a look at the new breakfast menu regulations. These resources should help you as you move forward:
- Breakfast in the Classroom Resource Center: Right here at Beyond Breakfast you will find resources to help you menu for the morning meal. Don’t miss the other great sections on marketing, implementation, and more.
- USDA School Breakfast Program: In addition to menu planning, you will find a food buying guide and a great PDF on alternate protein products.
- Beyond PB&J Cooking with Kids: This cookbook by Fuel Up to Play 60 is so cool, and interactive! It includes sections on breakfasts and snacks, as well as lunch and dinner ideas. You can bookmark the page, or download it to your computer.
Additional financial resources for your school nutrition program always come in handy. You can find funding through grant opportunities. You can use the Beyond Breakfast Resource Center Financial Planning section to help you calculate costs, create budgets, and present administrators with hard numbers to help you secure funding.
- Fuel Up to Play 60: Fuel Up to Play 60 schools can apply for funding through the program—up to $4000 per year!
- USDA: Team Nutrition (TN) Training Grants for Healthy Meals offer funding opportunities for school nutrition professionals.
- School Nutrition Association Grant/Grant Writing Resources: Utilize these resources to help you write grants, and find information on equipment and school nutrition procurement.