This handbook describes the duties of the supervisor of a food service site in the Summer Food Service Program for Children. The responsibilities of the program sponsor are listed. These include handling bills and paperwork, training supervisors, and providing recordkeeping forms to the site supervisor. The responsibilities of the site supervisor…

This handbook describes the duties of the supervisor of a food service site in the Summer Food Program for Children. The responsibilities of the program sponsor are listed first; these include handling bills and paperwork, training supervisors, advising about meal types and what to do with leftovers, providing record-keeping forms and…

A statewide food-purchasing cooperative in Mississippi offers cost savings, better service, and quality improvement. Explains 15 steps to forming a purchasing cooperative. (MLF)

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…

In 1994, Congress passed the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act, requiring that Child Nutrition Programs comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and meet nutrient standards. In 1995, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued new regulations to define how the Dietary Guidelines would be applied to school meals, called the…

This guide was written to provide sponsors with a combination of guidance and policy information in order to help them plan, purchase, prepare, and serve nutritious meals and snacks that comply with the Child Care Food Program meal pattern requirements. Nutrition information and lists of allowable foods for each menu component (meat, fruit and…

This guide is designed to assist personnel concerned with the planning of new school food service facilities or with equipping existing facilities. It indicates the minimum quantity of equipment to efficiently operate a school food service. The publication specifies the type, size, and quantity of equipment required for various size school food…

School food-service programs, endangered by rising costs, would benefit by taking the following steps: (1) improve food quality and presentation; (2) renovate the appearance of cafeterias; (3) enlist cafeteria personnel in reforms and include profit sharing; (4) update management procedures; and (5) cut bureaucracy. (MLF)

Effective financial management of school food service observes the following credos: (1) recognize that school food service is a business; (2) manage for productivity; (3) establish and maintain cost controls; (4) focus on expenses but not to the neglect of managing revenue; (5) balance near-term gain with long-term viability; and (6) reinvest…

A computerized menu-planning method, "Nutrient Standard Menu Planning" (NSMP), uses today's technology to create healthier menus. Field tested in 20 California school districts, the advantages of NSMP are cost effectiveness, increased flexibility, greater productivity, improved public relations, improved finances, and improved student…

After the state terminated funding and operation of school lunch programs, a Rhode Island school district chose to create and operate its own program. The results of the first year of operation include a 30% increase in student participation and a 33% increase in food service revenue. A concerted marketing effort and a growing catering business…

This publication is designed to assist early childhood providers, cooks, and parents in hygienic food preparation and a healthy diet provision for young children in Australian child care. The guide recommends nutritional requirements for children, using the five food groups as a guide for meal planning. The Australian dietary guidelines are also…

This reference guide for evaluation of school lunch training is a revision of a United States Department of Agriculture guide that was published in 1961. The guide is designed to help school administrators evaluate the training acquired by school lunch program personnel that is provided in training sessions for these persons. The booklet contains…

The Wichita, Kansas, Public Schools' Food Service Department Project Reduction in Paperwork (RIP) is designed to automate certain paperwork functions, thus reducing cost and flow of paper. This article addresses how RIP manages free/reduced meal applications and meets the objectives of reducing paper and increasing accuracy, timeliness, and…

This article offers guidelines for estimating necessary labor hours for school meal service. Factors influencing labor hours needed, distribution of labor hours, and other considerations are discussed. (MJL)