blog posts Production Record Template Aug 20, 2020 1:45 pm Download our production record template! From monthly menus to seasonal cycles: How one Illinois school district transitioned and cut costs Dec 18, 2019 3:30 pm Moving to seasonal cycle menus helped one Illinois school district increase meal participation while cutting costs. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - November 2019! Nov 25, 2019 4:30 pm Congratulations to Kimball Middle School (Elgin) for winning November's Meal of the Month contest! Hardin County reinstates salad bar Nov 25, 2019 3:00 pm #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - October 2019! Oct 23, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Sycamore Community District 427 for winning our October #MealoftheMonth contest! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - September 2019! Sep 26, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Jack London Middle School for winning our September #MealoftheMonth contest! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - August 2019! Aug 26, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Quincy Senior High School for winning our August #MealoftheMonth contest! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - Summer 2019! Jul 25, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Cobden Elementary for winning our SUMMER #MealoftheMonth contest! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - May 2019! May 27, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Bartlett High School for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for May! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - April 2019! Apr 26, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Van Orin Elementary School for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for April! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - March 2019! Mar 27, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Bartlett High School for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for March! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - February 2019! Feb 25, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Hutsonville CUSD #1 for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for February! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - January 2019! Jan 25, 2019 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Elgin Area School District U-46 for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for January! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - December 2018! Dec 21, 2018 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to McClernand Elementary School (Springfield, IL) for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for December! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - November 2018! Nov 21, 2018 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Bloomington Junior High School (Bloomington, IL) for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for November! Click here to see their winning entry. Boost Reimbursable Meals (VIDEO!) Oct 25, 2018 12:15 pm See how schools around Illinois are increasing their reimbursable meal counts with simple solutions in this quick video! #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - October 2018! Oct 24, 2018 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Sheridan Elementary School (Bloomington, IL) for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for October! Click here to see their winning entry. Vary the Vegetables (VIDEO!) Oct 2, 2018 12:15 pm See how schools around Illinois are improving consumption of VEGETABLES with simple solutions in this quick video! Focus on Fruit (VIDEO!) Oct 2, 2018 12:15 pm See how schools around Illinois are improving consumption of FRUIT with simple solutions in this quick video! Move More White Milk (VIDEO!) Oct 2, 2018 12:15 pm See how schools around Illinois are improving consumption of WHITE MILK with simple solutions in this quick video! Lunchroom Atmosphere (VIDEO!) Oct 2, 2018 12:15 pm See how schools around Illinois are enhancing their LUNCHROOM ATMOSPHERE with simple solutions in this quick video! #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - September 2018! Sep 28, 2018 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to St. Elmo CUSD #202 (St. Elmo, IL) for winning our #MealoftheMonth contest for September! Click here to see their winning entry. An international perspective on school meals Aug 14, 2018 1:00 pm Miyuki Rapp, a dietetic intern originally from Japan, shares her school lunch memories and offers perspective for school nutrition professionals. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - Summer 2018! Aug 10, 2018 5:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (Champaign, IL) for winning the summer meals edition of #MealoftheMonth! Click here to see their winning entry. Moo-ving more white milk Jun 13, 2018 3:00 pm University of Illinois Extension staff creatively promoted white milk at Maple Grove Elementary (Metropolis, IL) with tastings, contests, and more! Dessert for breakfast! Jun 4, 2018 4:15 pm Breakfast got a dessert-like makeover in a breakfast promotion at Roxana Central Intermediate School (Roxana, IL)! #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - May 2018! May 31, 2018 3:45 pm CONGRATULATIONS to Wethersfield CUSD #230 (Kewanee, IL) for winning May's #MealoftheMonth contest! Click here to see their winning entry. Battle of the salads! May 15, 2018 4:15 pm Which salad came out on top in the taste test at Irvington Grade School (Irvington, IL)? #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner #2 - April 2018! Apr 30, 2018 3:00 pm CONGRATULATIONS to Sycamore CUSD #427 (Sycamore, IL) for winning April's #MealoftheMonth contest! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner #1 - April 2018! Apr 30, 2018 2:45 pm CONGRATULATIONS to Christ the King School (Springfield, IL) for winning April's #MealoftheMonth contest! Click here to see their winning entry. A fresh display Apr 20, 2018 4:45 pm Need some inspiration to keep students excited about nutrition as the school year winds down? Venice celebrates School Breakfast Week Mar 29, 2018 5:00 pm Check out how Venice School District (Venice, IL) decorated their service line to celebrate National School Breakfast Week! #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - March 2018! Mar 22, 2018 12:15 pm CONGRATULATIONS to Dunlap School District #323 (Dunlap, IL) for winning March's #MealoftheMonth photo contest! Click here to see their winning entry. Students in Dwight sample new foods Mar 14, 2018 4:45 pm Rachel Benn (Extension Program Coordinator) and Jenna Smith (Nutrition and Wellness Educator) of University of Illinois Extension helped coordinate taste tests at both Dwight Common School and Dwight High School in Dwight, IL. School Nutrition Success: Grant Community High School (Fox Lake, IL) Mar 9, 2018 11:45 am Grant Community High School's school nutrition program is all in-house, and they are rocking it. Hear from their Food Service Director, Patti Wright, in this short video! ABCs Behind the Scenes: Breakfast After the Bell (East St. Louis, IL) Mar 9, 2018 11:30 am Curious about Breakfast After the Bell? Watch this video to see how the Grab and Go model works! Ramsey School District's (Ramsey, IL) aprons are holiday-ready! Mar 9, 2018 11:00 am Ramsey School District (Ramsey, IL) is ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style! Bureau Valley North wins at Learning Institute Feb 27, 2018 11:00 am Staff not only received USDA Professional Standards credit, but also brought back a great prize! #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - February 2018! Feb 20, 2018 12:45 pm CONGRATULATIONS to Patoka CUSD #100 (Patoka, IL) for winning February's #MealoftheMonth photo contest! Click here to see their winning entry. More beans, please! Feb 14, 2018 10:45 am Cowboy Caviar was on the menu at Carlyle Elementary School! #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - January 2018! Jan 16, 2018 10:15 am CONGRATULATIONS to Officer Donald Marquez Charter School (Chicago, IL) for winning January's #MealoftheMonth photo contest! Click here to see their winning entry. ABCs Behind the Scenes: Lunch in the Classroom (Decatur, IL) Jan 11, 2018 10:30 am Parsons and Enterprise Elementary Schools (Decatur Public Schools #61) serve Lunch in the Classroom, which has many benefits. Go behind the scenes to see how it all works! Salad bar success in Germantown Jan 8, 2018 11:30 am Students have been excited to try a new option in the lunchroom! New school, new possibilities Jan 1, 2018 11:30 am An inspiring school nutrition success story to kick off the New Year! Salads go head to head in Greenville High School taste test Dec 13, 2017 8:00 am Greenville High School coordinated a student-led taste test of potential new additions to their lunch menu. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - November 2017! Nov 20, 2017 10:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Oakland Elementary School (Bloomington, IL) for winning November's #MealoftheMonth photo contest! Click here to see their winning entry. #MealoftheMonth Photo Contest Winner - October 2017! Oct 26, 2017 11:30 am CONGRATULATIONS to Grant Community High School for winning October's #MealoftheMonth photo contest! Click here to see their winning entry. Get inspired by day, week, and month observances! Sep 29, 2017 2:45 pm Looking for inspiration for theme days or menu planning? Check out our compiled list of day, week, and month observances! Smarter Lunchroom Success: Rantoul Township High School Sep 28, 2017 4:00 pm Egyptian School District Staff Training Sep 28, 2017 3:45 pm SNAP-Ed Educator Toni Kay Wright and Extension Program Coordinator Lacey Barnhill provided professional development training for Egyptian School District.
