Recipe for Success

The following strategies may be helpful in controlling costs:

 Use cycle menus to keep variety in your meals while simplifying 

food purchasing and budgeting. Revamp cycle menus to serve less 

expensive, popular items more often.

 Serve low-cost beans or other legumes more often as a meat 

alternate or vegetable choice. For example, serve a bean and cheese 

burrito or substitute kidney beans for some of the meat in chili. 

 Train staff to follow standardized recipes precisely. Every extra 

scoop costs money! For example, don’t add extra ground beef to the 

spaghetti sauce recipe.

 Serve portion sizes according to the recipe. For example, serve a 

level 1⁄2-cup scoop of mashed potatoes, instead of a heaping scoop.

Compare product prices among various vendors. Obtain price lists from 

wholesale and retail vendors.

 Join a purchasing co-op to help maximize your purchasing power! 

Combine bids with neighboring school districts to purchase larger 

quantities at lower prices.

 Buy fresh fruits and vegetables when in season to get the best price 

and peak flavor. 

 Use canned or frozen fruits and vegetables more often. 

 Market your program as a good value to students, teachers, staff, 

and parents to boost participation. Compare the cost and nutritional 

benefit of a typical lunch brought from home to one served at school. 

 Create new customers through catering! Showcase healthy menus 

at board meetings and other school events. Have tasting parties in 

classrooms or as part of other school activities.

Just the Facts!

Meeting the Challenge of Rising Food Costs

for Healthier School Meals

Many school districts are feeling the squeeze of increasing food costs. It can also be challenging to provide healthy 

meals and snacks. What can schools do to meet these challenges? 

Some strategies include: maximizing use of available foods from 

USDA, using standardized recipes, buying foods in season, focusing 

on lower cost foods, tightening procurement practices, serving 

appropriate portions, and sharing cost-saving strategies with others.

KEY ISSUES:

 Providing healthy and 

appealing school meals 

when food prices are 

increasing can be a major 

challenge.

 Savvy school foodservice 

directors can manage tight 

food budgets and provide 

nutritious meals to their 

students.

USDA Foods are available 

to help schools meet their 

nutrition and financial 

goals.
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provides information on 

the regulation, as well as technical assistance and guidance 

materials on the nutrition standards for school meals:

• www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/policy.htm

• www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/Legislation/

nutritionstandards.htm

Food and Nutrition Information Center Healthy Meals Resource 

System at http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov provides:

• Purchasing and Procurement resource list

• Menu Planning and Preparation resource list

• Web site links to materials developed by State 

agencies, other government agencies, and food 

product associations

For More Information:

 Start a farm-to-school program to obtain fresh 

produce locally. To get started, go to: http://www.

fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/ 

 Complete an annual procurement plan

based on your menu to maximize the use of 

commodities, especially for the more expensive 

items. 

 Order bulk USDA Foods for further processing to 

help stretch your entitlement dollars. 

 Become a partner with your State Distributing 

Agency to ensure the most cost-effective 

ordering.

 Raise the cost of meals for paid students and 

school staff to help offset increasing costs

of food and labor. Ensure second meals and 

adult meals are priced to fully cover their cost of 

production.

 Meet the school meal pattern standards and 

earn the performance-based reimbursement.

USDA Foods Program

USDA continually explores better ways to help schools offer healthier meals consistent with the 

2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Whole grains, reduced-fat and reduced-sodium meats and 

cheeses, lower sodium canned vegetables, and canned fruits with less sugar are some examples of 

these healthier offerings. Information about the USDA Foods Program is available in the USDA Foods 

Toolkit at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/foods/healthy/Professional.htm to review the Foods Available 

List for Schools.

National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI)

at www.nfsmi.org provides: 

Training materials on Financial Management, including:

• First Choice: A Purchasing Systems Manual 

for School Food Service (http://www.nfsmi.org/

ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=64)

• Food Buying Guide Instructor Manual and Participant 

Workbook (http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.

aspx?ID=68)

• Food Buying Guide Calculator for Child Nutrition 

Programs (http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.

aspx?ID=400)

• Measuring Success with Standardized Recipes (http://

www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=88) 

Webcasts on effective financial management, procurement, 

and inventory control, including:

• Webinar: Financial Management: A Course for 

School Food Service Directors (http://www.nfsmi.org/

ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=338)

• Financial Management: A Course for School 

Food Service Directors (http://www.nfsmi.org/

ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=63)

Fact sheets on research related to cost control, purchasing, 

and financial decision-making, including:

• Financial Management Benchmarks for School 

Nutrition (http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.

aspx?ID=142)

• Financial Management Issues and Practices in 

School Nutrition Programs (http://www.nfsmi.org/

ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=143)

U.S. Department of Agriculture ● Food and Nutrition Service ● August 2012 ● FNS 449-J ● USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

Just the Facts: Meeting the Challenge of Rising Food Costs http://teamnutrition.usda.gov