Welcome to the Nutrition and Menu Planning Course. The purpose of this course is to help School Nutrition Managers better understand how foods get their crediting in the National School Lunch, Breakfast and Afterschool Care Snack Program.

Participants will be able to identify how foods credit towards components in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, analyze menus for compliance using crediting knowledge, and relate the menu to offer versus serve and how to can be successfully implemented in your kitchen. 

After completion of this course, the participants will be able to:

Module 1: Components and Crediting

• Determine how foods credit toward meal pattern requirements in each component category for breakfast, lunch and snack
• Utilize resources, such as the Food Buying Guide and Child Nutrition Labels to assist with component crediting

Module 2: Menu Planning

• Evaluate menus to determine meal pattern compliance for breakfast, lunch and snack
• Explore the driving factors and benefits of utilizing cycle menus
• Select appropriate menu substitutions for a planned menu, considering dietary specifications, meal pattern, and cost

Module 3: Offer vs Serve

• Connect the use of OVS signage to daily menu items on the serving line
• Develop a plan to train cashiers and front-line staff in applying OVS to meal service
• Calculate the number of components in reimbursable meals using production records and end of day reports