Menu Planning

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Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs

Overview

School Nutrition Programs | CACFP | SFSP

The resources below provide guidance on planning, preparing, and promoting healthy meals that meet the USDA meal pattern requirements for schools and institutions participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs. For more resources, review the CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production.

Menu Planning | Nutrient Analysis of Menus | Promoting Healthy Food Choices

Menu Planning

Cycle Menus

CACFP Fact Sheet: Cycle Menus (Institute of Child Nutrition)
CARE Connection Online Training: Planning Cycle Menus in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
Cycle Menus: Let's Cook, Wisconsin School Meals Rock (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
Farm to School Cycle Menu (Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative)
Healthier Kansas Menus 8-Week Lunch Cycle with Alternate Entrées (Kansas State Department of Education)
Iowa Gold Star Menus and Recipes (Iowa Department of Education)
Menu Cycles (The Lunch Box)
Menu Planner for School Meals: Chapter 3 Menu Development (USDA):
Menu Planning & Meal Service Ideas Using USDA Foods (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
Snack Inspiration: Menus with 240 Snack Ideas (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)

Food Themes: National Food Days and Seasonal Food Promotions

Food Calendar (University of Nebraska- Lincoln)
Mealtime Memo for the CACFP (Institute of Child Nutrition)
Monthly electronic newsletter with information about what’s in season, recipe ideas, and fun food facts
Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (USDA)
Menu Planning for the ASP ("Documents/Forms" section of CSDE's ASP webpage)

Menu Planning for the CACFP

Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers (Institute of Child Nutrition)
Menu Planning Basics: A Guide for CACFP Operators in Child Care (Institute of Child Nutrition)
Menu Planning for CACFP Adult Day Care Centers (CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Adult Day Care Centers webpage)
Menu Planning for CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns (CSDE)

Menu Planning for School Meals

Classroom Meals: Requirements for Classroom Meals in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
Field Trip Meals: Requirements for Field Trip Meals in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
Menu Planner for School Meals (USDA)
Menu Planning for Preschoolers (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
Menu Planning for School Meals (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
Menu Planning Guide for Preschoolers in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
Menu Planning Guide for School Meals for Grades K-12 (CSDE webpage)
Resources for the Preschool Meal Patterns (CSDE)
Resources for the School Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 (CSDE)

Menu Planning for the SFSP

Menu Planning for the SFSP ("How To" section of CSDE's SFSP webpage)
Resources for the SFSP Meal Patterns (CSDE)

Offer versus Serve (OVS)

OVS for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
OVS in CACFP Adult Day Care Centers ("Related Resources" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Adult Day Care Centers webpage)
OVS in At-risk Afterschool Centers in the CACFP (CSDE)
OVS in the SFSP ("How To" section of CSDE's SFSP webpage)

Portion Control

Basics at a Glance Poster (Institute of Child Nutrition): Recipe abbreviations, measurement conversions, portioning tools, and steamtable pan capacity

Procurement

Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (USDA webpage)
Procurement for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Procurement for the CACFP Child Care Centers (CSDE's Program Guidance for CACFP Adult Day Care Centers webpage)
Procurement for the CACFP Child Care Centers (CSDE's Program Guidance for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)

Resource Lists

Resource List for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)

Salad Bars

A Field Guide to Salad Bars in Schools (Minnesota Department of Health)
Promoting and Supporting School Salad Bars: An Action Guide for State Health Practitioners (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Salad Bar Signage Template (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
Salad Bar Tools & Resources (The Lunch Box)
Salad Bars (Action for Healthy Kids)
Salad Bars to Schools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Salad Bars to Schools (Chef Ann Foundation)
USDA Memo SP 41-2019: Salad Bars in the National School Lunch Program

Seasonal and Local Foods

Connecticut Grown Crop Availability Calendar (Connecticut Department of Agriculture)
Fruits & Vegetables by Season in Connecticut (SNAP4CT)
Integrating Local Foods into Child Nutrition Programs (USDA)
Recipes for Farm to School (CSDE's Farm to School webpage)
Seasonal Produce Guide (SNAP-Ed)

USDA Foods

Food Distribution Program (USDA Foods) (CSDE webpage)
USDA Foods in Schools (USDA webpage)

Nutrient Analysis of Menus

Child Nutrition Database (USDA webpage): Required in USDA-approved nutrient analysis software for the NSLP and SBP
FoodData Central (USDA webpage)
Nutrient Analysis Protocols: How to Analyze Menus for USDA’s School Meals Programs (USDA)
"Nutrient Analysis" in CSDE's Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production in Child Nutrition Programs
USDA Approved Nutrient Analysis Software (USDA webpage)

Promoting Healthy Food Choices

Farm to School (CSDE webpage)
Resource List for Dietary Guidance and Nutrition Information (CSDE)
Resource List for Nutrition Education (CSDE)
Resource List for Wellness Policies in Schools and Child Care (CSDE)
School Wellness Policies (CSDE webpage)
Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (USDA)
USDA Memo 15-2016: Optional Best Practices to Further Improve Nutrition in the CACFP