Planning the Menu
Incorporating local foods into the menu doesn’t have to be a challenge! With a solid plan, you’ll be able to create menus with ease and limit waste.
Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program should incorporate local foods into their menus in ways that coordinate with the school nutrition guidelines.
There are many resources for food service directors to use when planning menu items that use local foods:
Fresh, local vegetable cups prepared for the National School Lunch Program at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia.
- Nutritious and Seasonal Recipes for School Cooks by School Cooks, Vermont Dept. of Education
- Menu Planning for Farm to School Programs, USDA FNS
- What's Cooking, a USDA FNS recipe cache
- Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook, USDA Team Nutrition
- The Lunch Box Recipes and Menus for Schools, Chef Ann Foundation
- Eat Healthier School Recipes, Alliance for a Healthier Generation
- Massachusetts Farm to School Recipe Guide, Massachusetts Farm to School
- Cool School Food in New York City Recipe Book, New York Coalition for Healthy School Food
- Homegrown Farm to School Recipes, Wisconsin Team Nutrition
You can also check out our Mighty Mini Videos for guidance on using local foods in your menu:
Click here to download the materials from this presentation.
The Illinois growing season slows down considerably in the cold, winter months. If you’re wondering how you can extend local food items through the winter season, check out this presentation:
Click here to download the materials from this presentation.
Check out the history of school lunches in the U.S. and how you can join the movement back to from-scratch cooking in lunchrooms in this video presentation:
Clickhere to download the materials for this presentation.
If your school needs support, including:
- Skills training for staff,
- Reorganization of kitchens, serving lines and cafeterias,
- Adding equipment and small wares,
- Recipes and food production technical assistance,
- Incorporating scratch cooking or fresh prep,
- Preserving the harvest: processing & storing summer fruits and veggies,
- Adding or updating salad bars,
- And, much more!
Contact the Illinois Farm to School Network. We have the tools and technical assistance to assist you!