Menu Planning and Meal Patterns Toolkit

Access tools and resources to support school meal planning, meal pattern requirements, reimbursable meals, production records, food safety, product documentation, recipes, and wellness policies for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

For additional resources, see USDA Team Nutrition resources

Dietary Specifications

• Sodium Reference Sheet

Food Allergy

• Food Allergy Action Plan (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• CDC Tool Kit for Managing Food Allergies in Schools

Food Safety

• Food Safety Notifications from the Food and Drug Administration
• WA Department of Health Food Recalls and Safety Alerts
• USDA Food Safety Resources
• Produce Safety (NFSMI)
• Food Safety Rules and Regulations (WA State)

Food Waste

• School Food Donation Guidelines
• Guide to Conducting Student Food Waste Audits: A Resource for Schools
• Washington School Food Share Program Toolkit
• Plate Waste Infographic

Identification of Reimbursable Meals

• ID Reimbursable Meal – Ideas and Resources
• ID Reimbursable Meal – Sign - List
• ID Reimbursable Meal – Sign - Tray Image

Meal Pattern

• Meal Pattern Chart Lunch and Breakfast | Spanish 
• Meal Pattern Chart 3 day week
• Meal Pattern Chart 4 day week 
• Meal Pattern Chart 7 day week 
• Preschool Meal Pattern 
• Meal Pattern Flexibilities Reference Sheet
• USDA Meal Program Comparison Chart
• Substituting Vegetables for Grains Reference Sheet
• Substituting Vegetables for Grains in Tribal Communities - Documentation

Meal Pattern Contribution and Standardizing Recipes

• Standardizing Recipe Components
• Figuring Meal Pattern Contribution
• Calculating Grains Contribution from a Recipe
• Exhibit A with Ranges
• USDA's Food Buying Guide
• Recipe Development Canvas Course

Menu Planners

• USDA's Menu Planner for School Meals
• Menu Builder Tool
• Breakfast Menu Planner All grade group 7-Day Week
• Breakfast Menu Planner All grade groups
• Lunch Menu Planner All grade groups 7-Day Week
• Lunch Menu Planner All grade groups
• Lunch Menu Planner K-5
• Lunch Menu Planner 6-8
• Lunch Menu Planner 9-12
• Fruit and Vegetable Bar Planner
• 7 day week (legal size paper)
• USDA Menu Worksheet (certification worksheets)
• Tools for Schools
• Editable Shortage Notice Letter Template | Chinese | Marshallese | Russian | Somali | Spanish | Vietnamese
  • Families must be communicated to in a language they understand. OSPI CNS Provides translated documents for families in the top 6 languages encountered in student homes in the state. Ensure to translate vital documents into the top languages encountered in your service area.
  • We recommend LEAs to send an Important Information Notice with the English materials while translating documents into the top languages encountered in their service area. Review the LEP-Important Information to Translate Notice Reference Sheet for more details.

Offer vs Serve

• Offer vs Serve Reference Sheet
• USDA's Offer vs Serve Tip Sheets and Posters

Product Documentation

• CN Label Verification Report
• Food Buying Guide Reference Sheet
• Interactive Food Buying Guide
• Tips for Processed Products Documentation
• USDA Guidance for Accepting Processed Products Documentation
• Product Documentation Reference Sheet
• Product Formulation Statements Guidance
• Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Meat/Meat Alternates
• Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Meat/Meat Alternates - Sample
• Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Vegetables with Subgroups / Fruits
• Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Vegetables with Subgroups / Fruits - Sample
• Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Grains - Ounce Equivalents
• Product Formulation Statement for Documenting Grains - Ounce Equivalents - Sample
• Quick Bites for Vendors

Production Records

• Lunch Production record (1)
• Lunch Production record (2)
• Lunch Production Record (2) with Temps
• Breakfast Production Record
• Breakfast Production Record (1)
• Breakfast Production Record with Temps
• Condiment Study
• Fruit and Vegetable Bar Production Record
• Production Record Reference Sheet
• Satellite or Vended Meal Delivery Record

Recipes and Menus

• Healthier Kansas Menus
• Healthy School Meals - Project Bread Massachusetts
• USDA Recipe Box
• Washington State FY21 Team Nutrition Training Grant Recipes
• White Chicken Chili

Vegetable Sub Group

• Vegetable Subgroup Posters
• Vegetable Subgroup handout (color version)
• Meal Pattern Promotion and Talking Points

Whole Grains

• Whole Grains Reference
• Whole Grain-Rich Exemption Request
• USDA's Whole Grains Resource

Wellness Policy

• USDA School Nutrition Environment and Wellness Resource
• Action for Healthy Kids Wellness Policy Toolkit
• CDC Healthy Schools
• WellSAT.org - A tool to help you score and improve your local School Wellness Policy.
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation Refresh Your Policy