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Share Tables Help TN District Reduce Waste & Nourish Students

A familiar practice in many school cafeterias, maximizing the use of share tables can make a significant difference in reducing food waste and helping students access extra food to nourish their day.

Giles County School System in Tennessee has helped develop a program that makes sharing easy and practical in the district, which serves approximately 3,600 students across eight schools. The district provides free meals to all of its students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

WV District Brings Order-Ahead Convenience to Breakfast

Pre-ordering through an app has become part of everyday life for many teens, whether for take-out dinners or their favorite coffee orders. Wood County Schools in West Virginia is bringing that familiar convenience into the school cafeteria with Build a Better Breakfast, a pre-order program giving students more choice while making breakfast service faster and easier to access on rushed school mornings.

Inspired by the ease of use in other retail food operations, Hollie W. Best, Food Service Director for the district, devised the pre-order system to work alongside the district’s traditional breakfast program. She wanted to give students another option to encourage them to start their day with school breakfast.

School Nutrition Goes Behind the Scenes at a TX Cattle Ranch

Just like the students they serve, school nutrition professionals appreciate the opportunity to see firsthand what goes into producing the healthy, local food served in school meals. Recently, the Garland ISD Student Nutrition Services team joined school districts from across North Texas for an educational tour of Cox Ranch in Poolville, Texas. Hosted in partnership with the Texas Beef Council and Don Lee Farms, the tour provided insights and interactive learning opportunities.

TX District’s Challenge puts Pulled Chicken to the Test

When school nutrition teams are given one ingredient and the freedom to have a creative competition, it’s the students who win! Bryan Independent School District in TX created a culinary competition that spurred 23 original pulled chicken recipes, all while giving students a voice in choosing what dishes would make the the school menu.

Last spring, the district launched its first-ever Recipe Challenge to find appealing way to use its commodity dark-meat chicken. Cafeteria teams from across the district developed recipes ranging from Cheesy Chicken Nachos and Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches to Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake, Green Chile Chicken Spaghetti and Buffalo Chicken Pasta.

Mystery Produce Program Connects Community to Farm-to-School Success in CT

Beyond the benefits its farm-to-school program delivers for student menus, Groton Public Schools in Connecticut has committed to support community members as well as local farms and food producers. The district’s popular Mystery Produce Bag program helps get farm-fresh and local foods out to the community while engaging students in the process, providing a source of revenue for the school nutrition program and supporting local businesses through the spring, summer and fall seasons.

Summer Meal Programs Keep Kids Fueled Across the Country

When the school year ends, school nutrition professionals continue working behind the scenes to ensure children have access to healthy meals in their communities.

Through drive-up distributions, mobile meal routes, community meal sites, parks, and summer learning programs, school meal programs are finding creative ways to reach families where they are. The following programs reflect just a few innovative approaches school districts are using to serve their communities this summer:

Inside Albuquerque Schools’ Scratch Meal Effort

A shift is happening in school kitchens across New Mexico, and Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is embracing the opportunity. Through expanded training programs and hands-on, interactive sessions with professional chefs, APS Food & Nutrition Services is preparing to significantly increase scratch made meals for students across the district.

Currently, APS prepares approximately 25–30% of meals using scratch cooking methods. By the start of the 2026–27 school year, the nutrition services teams plans to bump up that effort to about half of meals!

School Nutrition Employees Recognized for Outstanding Service

School Lunch Hero Day (SLHD) celebrates school nutrition professionals for the many positive impacts they make in their communities through the year. From creating welcoming environments and serving culturally relevant meals to ensuring meal access for students in need and providing engaging nutrition education, their efforts are felt by students nationwide. Established in 2013, SLHD is a collaborative effort between School Nutrition Association (SNA) and Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the popular Lunch Lady graphic novel series.

Each year on the first Friday in May, SLHD honors hardworking professionals who support student health and well being in schools across the country. This week, SNA is also taking the opportunity to spotlight regional honorees of the Employee of the Year awards, individuals who have gone above and beyond to benefit their students and school communities. Congratulations to them and to all the 2026 award winners at the national, regional and state levels.

School Nutrition Managers Honored for Dedication

The dedication, ingenuity and compassion shown by cafeteria managers is being celebrated this week, honoring a sampling of professionals who have excelled in providing high-quality, nutritious meals to students throughout the school year.

In advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated each year on the first Friday in May, the School Nutrition Association (SNA) is spotlighting regional honorees of the Manager of the Year awards. Congratulations!

School Nutrition Directors Honored for Exceptional Leadership

School nutrition directors play a critical role in local school meal programs across the country. They are responsible for maintaining high quality programs through student interaction, menu planning and a commitment to serving nutritious, tasty and well-balanced school meals. Their leadership extends across various aspects of operations, from budgeting and staffing to training, marketing and community outreach, helping to drive the success of school nutrition programs.

In advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated each year on the first Friday in May, hardworking professionals who support student health and well being in schools across the country are being recognized. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is spotlighting regional honorees of the Director of the Year awards. These leaders demonstrate outstanding dedication to their school meal programs and the students they serve.

Congratulations to 2026 regional winners!