Innovation in Preparation in School Meals Tips

• Get inspiration from the Institute of Child Nutrition’s (ICN) Child Nutrition Recipe Box (CNRB), Chef Ann Foundation’s The Lunch Box, other school districts, popular local restaurants, or food trucks.  
• Start small with sides – they are just as important as main entrées and can add variety. Find recipes by selecting the side dish category in the CNRB.   
• Explore herbs and spices as they are packed with flavor and can reduce the need for added sodium. The Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition’s (CICN) Culinary Quick Bites: Flavor Profiles training series provides strategies to incorporate herbs and spices.   
• Use ripe fruit, spices, and extracts to enhance the flavor of baked goods made with less added sugars. For additional ideas, check out Team Nutrition’s Best Practices for Reducing Added Sugars at School Breakfast resource. 

• Incorporate recipes or products that use whole-grain flour, whole-grain pasta, or brown rice. Find recipes by selecting the whole grain-rich category in the CNRB.  

• Train staff to ensure best practices for preparation of whole grain-rich items. The CICN has a series of Cooking Grains Training Videos.  
• Connect with vendors to explore new whole grain-rich offerings. USDA’s Whole Grain Resource is a guide to assist in determining if a product is whole grain-rich.  
• Swap grain-based desserts at breakfast with whole-grain-rich items like Oatmeal Muffin Squares.  
  

• Explore availability of local agricultural products and substitute them for non-local items. The ICN’s Shaking It Up! Procuring Lower-Sodium Products worksheets and USDA’s 10 Facts About Local Food in Schools can help you get started.  
• Serve local products on the salad bar or as an ingredient in a recipe. USDA’s Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs resource includes a section on menu planning that identifies a variety of ways to integrate local products into menus.     
• Showcase the local products on your menus to build excitement. USDA’s Farm to School Planning Toolkit includes suggestions to raise awareness of the local products that you serve among students, staff, and parents/caregivers.  
• Explore USDA Foods and DoD Fresh offerings in your state and maximize your entitlement.   

The Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards are a collection of awards designed to celebrate and share innovative practices taking place across the country!  

The Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award recognizes school nutrition programs that plan and prepare scratch recipes for school breakfast and lunch. Utilization of local agricultural products or USDA Foods is encouraged. 

The award criteria features:  

• Offering at least 3 new entrees and/or sides prepared from scratch using standardized recipes.
• Providing whole grain-rich items as defined by the Grain Requirements for School Meals. 
• Engagement of students in the marketing of the new menu items.  

To learn more and access the application portal, visit healthymealsincentives.org. 

For application assistance, contact awards@healthymealsincentives.org.