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Whether you’re a school foodservice professional or an advocate pushing for better nutrition for children, at the School Food Institute, you can learn how to make school food fresh, healthy, and sustainable. All of the online courses satisfy USDA professional standards and are focused on implementing and managing a scratch-cook school food operation that provides kids with access to real, healthy food at school every day.
A Fresh Approach to Education

Available Courses

00 - Introduction to School Food Institute

00 - Introduction to School Food Institute

30 minutes

Free

Learn how to move through courses, course requirements, getting the most out of the course, communicating with your instructor, viewing the video lectures and more.

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01 - School Food 101

01 - School Food 101

3 hours

$149.00

School Food 101 provides the overview and context of the operational demands of school food and the urgency of school food change.

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02 - Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning

02 - Mission, Vision and Strategic Planning

2 hours

$99.00

Follow an expert through the process of planning for systemic, sustainable change in school meal programs.

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03 - School Food Operational Models

03 - School Food Operational Models

2 hours

$99.00

Learn how each operational model affects the food on the lunch tray, and untangle the complicated web of school food operations.

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04 - School Food Finance

04 - School Food Finance

2 hours

$99.00

Walk through the revenues and expenses involved in school meal programs. Includes an explanation of fundamental tools to track financials throughout the year, and how to develop an annual and multi-year budget for a program.

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05 - Recipes and Menu Development

05 - Recipes and Menu Development

2 hours

$99.00

Discover why recipes are vital for sustainable scratch-cooking, what makes a good recipe for school food, and how to incrementally transition popular menu items to scratch-cook.

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06 - School Food Procurement

06 - School Food Procurement

2 hours

$99.00

Find out why procurement is so important in school food, and how to align procurement practices with the mission and vision of the meal program.

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07 - Salad Bars in Schools

07 - Salad Bars in Schools

2 hours

$99.00

Take an in-depth look at planning and assessment for salad bar implementation, as well as the complex operational issues of recipe development, production records, and procurement.

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08 - Marketing and Lunchroom Education

08 - Marketing and Lunchroom Education

2 hours

$99.00

Engage students and school communities with applicable and practical marketing tactics and lunchroom education events.

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09 - Sustainable Lunchrooms

09 - Sustainable Lunchrooms

2 hours

$99.00

Looking to go green? Learn more about the ever-increasing importance of reducing environmental impact, as well as achievable tactics to create a sustainable school food program.

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10 - Plant Forward

10 - Plant Forward

1.5 hours

$99.00

Discover the health, environmental, and financial benefits of eating plant-based proteins. Also learn how to serve more plant forward meals in your school.

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11 - Ingredients for Healthier Kids

11 - Ingredients for Healthier Kids

2 hours

$99.00

Not all ingredients are created equal. Find out which common unhealthy ingredients are sneaking into our food, and learn how to reduce and eliminate them from school menus.

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