School Food Institute
Our School Food Institute is a series of online courses for school food professionals and school food change advocates. They provide comprehensive training on the key components of successful scratch cooking operations in schools.
School Food Institute
Our School Food Institute is a series of online courses for school food professionals and school food change advocates. They provide comprehensive training on the key components of successful scratch cooking operations in schools.
Overview
Our School Food Institute online courses offer school food professionals, school administrators, and school food change advocates comprehensive training on fundamental topics focused on how to operate a successful scratch-cooked meals program.
Courses are led by Chef Ann Cooper — founder of the Chef Ann Foundation and internationally recognized author, chef, educator, public speaker, and school food change advocate.
Overview
Our School Food Institute online courses offer school food professionals, school administrators, and school food change advocates comprehensive training on fundamental topics focused on how to operate a successful scratch-cooked meals program.
Courses are led by Chef Ann Cooper — founder of the Chef Ann Foundation and internationally recognized author, chef, educator, public speaker, and school food change advocate.
School Food 101
Our most popular course offers an introduction to school food. Learn about the history of school food programs, regulations, policy, and funding. Beneficial for new school food professionals, food organizations and nonprofits, healthy food advocates, and anyone looking to learn more about healthier food in schools.
Ingredients for Healthier Kids
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.
Mission, Vision, and Strategic Planning
This course will show you how to develop and articulate a shared vision for your scratch-cooking program — and how to bring that vision to life.
School Food Operational Models
Learn about the difference school food operational models, and how each one affects the food on the lunch tray.
Salad Bars in Schools
Want to implement a salad bar in your school? This course explains how you can do it! It also covers developing salad bar recipes, maintaining salad bar production records, and procuring fresh ingredients for your salad bar.
Recipes and Menu Development
What makes a quality and replicable school food recipe? And how can you incrementally transition from pre-packaged heat-and-serve menu items to healthier, tastier scratch-cooked versions? Find out in this course!
School Food Finance
We’ll walk you through the revenues and expenses involved in school meal programs. You’ll learn how to build a multi-year and annual budget for a scratch-cooking meal program. You’ll also be introduced to the fundamental tools needed to track your budget throughout the year.
School Food Procurement
Find out why procurement is so important in school food, and how you can align your procurement practices with the mission and vision of the meal program.
Marketing and Lunchroom Education
Most students have become used to eating ultra-processed and high-sugar foods and beverages. It’s important to market your new scratch-cooked menu items to students to get them excited about trying new foods they may not yet be familiar with. Here’s how you can do it.
Sustainable Lunchrooms
Scratch-cooked meal programs offer schools many opportunities to reduce their environmental impacts — from reducing plastic and packaging waste, to limited energy and water consumption. This course outlines practical ways you can create a more environmentally sustainable school food program.
Plant-Forward Meals
Plant-forward meals offer students more diverse diets and important health benefits. They’re also better for the environment. This course will show you how to incorporate more plant-forward items on your menu.
Enroll
To enroll in School Food Institute courses, visit the School Food Institute website. Please contact info@schoolfoodinstitute.org with any questions.
Enroll
To enroll in School Food Institute courses, visit the School Food Institute website. Please contact info@schoolfoodinstitute.org with any questions.
