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BACK TO SCHOOL MENU PLANNING TIPS

August 19th, 2024
By Katie Chatfield, MPH, RDN, LD, CCNP, Nutrition Manager

Summer is winding down and it's almost time for busy school schedules to resume. Set yourself up for success this school year by dedicating time to menu plan. Menu planning takes the stress out of deciding what to feed your children, streamlines your shopping trips, and even saves you money!

Whatever your personality or comfort level in the kitchen, there is a menu planning style to suit you. When figuring out what method will work best, consider your:

Menu Planning image
Personality Type

Spontaneous: What sounds good right now? What do I have on hand?
Bargain hunter: Shop weekly by grocery sale or for seasonal items
Planner: Shop once a month, prepare large-batch freezer meals
Creative: Themed meal planning
Efficient: Cycle menus

Time

Meal prep at the beginning of the week
Make a double batch and freeze it
Cook once, serve twice (chicken breast, chicken hotdish)
Re-purpose leftovers at the end of the week (soups, salads)

Menu planning is also a great way to make sure your meals and snacks meet CACFP meal pattern guidelines. Consider choosing one new whole grain item per week to expose the children to new flavors while boosting nutrition (quinoa, anyone?). Be sure to include a wide variety of:

Shapes - round, square, rectangular and spiral
Tastes - sweet, sour, tart, salty, spicy, mild
Textures - soft, fluffy, crunchy, crisp, creamy, smooth
Colors - yellow, orange, red, green, purple, white, brown

Don't forget to involve the kids! Finding ways to involve them in choosing meals, prepping ingredients and making recipes is a great way to encourage them to try unfamiliar items.

Check out these resources to inspire your menu planning process:

Menu Planning Tools

Purchasing/ Shopping Tools

Questions? Reach out! We love working with providers and are dedicated to supporting you.