A 1983 federal appeals court decision says the Secretary of Agriculture cannot establish time and place restrictions on the sale of snack items in schools. If snack items are to be banned from schools, the School Lunch Act must be reworded. (MD)

The goal of the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) option in the Healthy School Meals Initiative is to minimize plate waste and to encourage more food choices in school meal programs. This manual was designed for child nutrition programs as a tool in helping them meet the Healthy School Meals Initiative, in particular to assist them in identifying a…

This training manual introduces school food service, child nutrition program goals, and programs in Michigan. It also studies food service backgrounds, noting, for example, that "penny lunches" began in Philadelphia in 1894 and that Holland was the first country--in 1900--to legislate school lunches, as well as legal activities over the…

This menu planning guide for school lunches and breakfasts contains: (1) lunch requirements, recommendations, and policies; (2) the basics of menu planning; (3) how to vary portions for various age/grade groups; (4) planning breakfasts; (5) merchandising school lunches and breakfasts; and (6) nutrition education and menu planning; Appendixes…

Describes a project which: (1) compared cost and nutritive value of six student lunches (type A school lunch, a-la-carte school lunch, lunch at home, vended lunch, fast-food lunch, and brown bag lunch); (2) used findings to make recommendations for improving student lunches; and (3) developed graduate student assessment/research skills. (JN)

A special report on school food service discusses the following: (1) new directions in the federal commodities program; (2) cafeteria etiquette strategies; (3) menus and management for school breakfast programs; (4) balancing nutrition and cost effectiveness; and (5) recycling cafeteria waste. (MLF)

Activities on the nutritional value of school lunches are provided, focusing on government nutritional guidelines and how the school cafeteria tries to meet them. Students learned nutrition and rationale/complexities behind putting together appetizing and nutritious school lunches. Includes lists of agencies providing nutrition information to…

School food service should be considered a vital aspect of school operations, not an appendage to the educational program. This handbook revolves around the federal Child Nutrition and National School Lunch program serving about 24 million pupils daily in over 90 percent of the nation's 89,200 public schools. The booklet helps explain various…

This guide is based on the latest federal regulations and meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. It considers current food production and marketing techniques, packaging methods, grading standards, and changing food habits in the American population. The guide gives average yield information on over 600…

Some children have chronic illnesses that require diet modifications as part of their medical treatment. Advises school districts to hire a registered dietitian or look for resources at a local hospital or public health office. In addition, schools should work with parents, improve staff training, and conduct spot checks of school cafeterias. (MLF)

A program that provides a cash alternative to actual commodity food items to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Child Nutrition Program has greatly reduced processing charges and virtually eliminated warehousing expenses. By only purchasing the food wanted, and in the form preferred, the children are provided with the full commodity benefits to…

Recognizing the importance of efficient and effective program administration for the success of Utah's Child Nutrition Programs, the State Office of Education developed a manual to assist local program administrators in using the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) programs. This document contains Part 1 of the manual's four interrelated…

The ranking minority congressman on the Committee on Education and Labor forecasts the future of federal funding for school food service programs under the Child Nutrition Act. (MLF)

Introductions to menu planning I and II--including nutrition requirements for children of all ages--are the subjects of the first two lessons of this Food Service Training Manual. The menu planning system of lesson 3 deals with place and time, as well as with needs for eye appeal and contrast. Lesson 4 is a progress test with answer key for…

This manual contains information on federal policy regarding meal-pattern requirements for school-nutrition programs. It also describes the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) provision, which allows students to decline either one or two food items they do not intend to eat in order to reduce food waste. The manual explains food components, gives examples of…