Free School Menu Templates Are Back For The 2017-18 School Year!


The new school year is here and we've updated our menu templates with brand new designs for the 2017-18 school year.  These fun, free, easy-to-use templates are available for you to download now. With unique designs that channel the spirit of each month, these menus are sure to catch the eye of your students' parents.

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Tips to Help with Student Lunch Debt for the New School Year

Recently, much media attention has been focused on school cafeterias and the (seemingly) controversial methods used when students cannot pay for their meal. Cafeteria staff have an obligation to balance feeding hungry kids, maintaining financial stability, and following district guidelines. Occasionally, something has to give.

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A Brief History of School Lunch in America [Infographic]

The history of school lunch programs in America is anything but brief.  The Children's Aid Society began feeding hungry, needy school children in New York City as far back as 1853.  But it wasn't until the late 19th century that some major US cities, including Philadelphia and Boston, started their own school lunch programs.  Over the next century, authors, war, and politics continued to shape the school lunch program into what we know it as today.

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Happy Holidays (+ 2016 Most Popular Blog Posts)


From all of us at Heartland School Solutions, we'd like to wish you a happy and safe holiday season!

Take a look at how our office stopped and celebrated this year with
our very own #MannequinChallenge:

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Here's How I Explained School Nutrition To A Friend

A few days back, a friend of mine asked me what I do for a living.  I explained that I was a National Sales Manager for Heartland School Solutions.   We hadn’t seen each other in a few years, and as the father of twins beginning kindergarten this year, he was very interested to hear all about it.  We chatted about our careers, and I began to think about the complexity of our K-12 food service industry.

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Simple Solutions to Reduce Food Waste in Schools

With over 30 million students participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) everyday, you might not be surprised to hear that those same students generate over $600 million in food waste each year.  Making an effort to reduce food waste can save your operation money, increase meal consumption in the lunchroom, and help minimize your school's impact on the environment.

Here are some simple solutions to reduce food waste before it happens, recover foods that are on their way to the trash, and recycle food waste that might otherwise end up in a landfill:

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Get Your Free 2016-17 School Menu Templates

The new school year is here! Get your menus ready with free easy-to-use templates that look as good as your meals do.  With fun designs for each month, these menus are sure to catch the eye of your students' parents.

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5 Ways to Reduce Unpaid Meal Charges

As food costs continue to climb and many families struggle to make ends meet, school districts across the country continue to see a rise in unpaid meal charges.  In SNA's State of School Nutrition 2014 survey, nearly 71% of schools reported that their meal program had unpaid student meal debt at the end of the 2012-13 school year.

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Happy Holidays (+ 2015 Most Popular Blog Posts)

From all of us at Heartland School Solutions, we'd like to wish you a happy and safe holiday season!

And with 2016 right around the corner, let's take a look at the most popular Connections blogs posts from this year:

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4 Ways Your District Can Celebrate Thanksgiving


Thanksgiving is the perfect time for a school community to come together and celebrate the spirit of the holiday with one another. How are you celebrating Thanksgiving in your district this year?

If you need a little inspiration, below are a few activities you can do with your staff and students to help you get into the spirit of the holiday.

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