Menu Planning

Teacher of the Year Ceremony
Due to inclement weather, the Teacher of the Year Ceremony has been postponed to December 16, 2025 from 5-7pm. Doors will open at 4pm. The Ceremony will take place at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, and the order of events will remain the same.

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.

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 ("Menu Planning" section of CSDE's Meal Patterns for CACFP Child Care Programs webpage)
Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
USDA Memo 15-2016: Optional Best Practices to Further Improve Nutrition in the CACFP

Menu Planning for School Nutrition Programs

Menu Planner for School Meals (USDA)
Menu Planning Checklists for Lunch for Grades K-12 (CSDE's Forms for School Nutrition Programs webpage)
Menu Planning Guidance for School Meals for Grades K-12 (CSDE webpage)
Menu Planning Guidance Series for the Preschool Meal Patterns (CSDE's Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs webpage)
Overview of Menu Planning for Grades K-12 in the NSLP (CSDE)
Overview of Menu Planning for Grades K-12 in the SBP (CSDE)
Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs webpage)
Requirements for Classroom Meals in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
Requirements for Field Trip Meals in the NSLP and SBP (CSDE)
Resources for the Preschool Meal Patterns (CSDE)
Resources for the School Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 (CSDE)
Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (USDA)

Menu Planning for the SFSP

Menu Planning for the SFSP (CSDE's SFSP webpage)
Recipes for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE's Menu Planning for Child Nutrition Programs 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 ("Meal Service" section of CSDE's SFSP webpage)

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 Dietary Guidance and Nutrition Information (CSDE)
Resource List for Menu Planning and Food Production for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
Resource List for Nutrition Education (CSDE)
Resource List for Special Diets in Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
Resource List for Wellness Policies in Schools and Child Care (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)
Farm to School (CSDE webpage)
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)