When it comes to procurement, school nutrition programs have a host of challenges to overcome. According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in…
Procurement is a persistent challenge for school nutrition programs. Consider these five strategies to improve the situation. https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/procurement-challenges-persist-5-strategies-help/

Commodities’ season is officially open as USDA Foods surveys go out to child nutrition programs across the country. Do you dread this time of year? Do you pull your hair out…
Do you dread commodities’ season? Do you pull your hair out guessing how much of which commodities you’ll use next year? STOP. There is an easier way. https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/take-guesswork-out-commodities/

Do you sense already that your menu rotation may not hold students’ interest through the fall? Are you stretched thin with menus for multiple service models, such as meals in the…
Imagine a 40-week menu rotation! Weeks 31-40 were created specifically for COVID-19 service. https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/tap-40-week-menu-rotation-today/

Our product development team has been hard at work refining the tools in our Toolbox and adapting them to Google Sheets. The technology survey we conducted last fall revealed that…
The tools in our Toolbox have been updated, with some now available on the Google platform. https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/tools-updated-now-google-compatible/

The USDA recently released a series of infographics highlighting the use of USDA Foods and USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Program in schools during 2016-17…
Districts will soon order commodity foods for 2020-2021. Our Commodities Forecasting Calculator can help you order accurately. https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/commodities-season-coming/

The USDA gives schools a gift every year in the form of commodity foods, officially known as USDA Foods. They provide nutritious foods to federal child nutrition programs while…
Our executive chef creates our school lunch menus with a "commodities first" mindset. Starting with available USDA Foods, she masterfully develops flavorful recipes that students will love. Using commodities first, NutriStudents K-12 menus can help you re… https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/commodities-first-menus-equal-savings/

NutriStudents K-12 Cowboy Salad is a satisfying recipe that makes use of several USDA Foods/commodity foods. It's also easy to make and a versatile side dish that complements many…
If you need to use up some of your commodity legumes, the NutriStudents K-12 Cowboy Salad is a recipe you'll appreciate as will your students! https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/make-cowboy-salad/

SNA has released its 2019 Position Paper. According to its website, it is calling on Congress and the Administration to bolster school meals programs and minimize regulatory…
The School Nutrition Association's 2019 position paper outlines the organization's lobbying priorities for the year. https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/sna-issues-2019-position-paper/

Making full use of your USDA Foods (Commodities) is one way to ensure the financial success of your foodservice program. Generally, it's difficult to determine which and how much…
https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/help-commodities-allocations/

Related Content: NutriStudents K-12 Market Baskets Help with Commodities Allocations   Projecting your use of USDA commodity foods can be tricky six months to a…
https://nutristudentsk-12.com/news/fresh-bites-blog/commodity-forecasting-tool-projects-usage/