Why Your School District Is Suddenly Obsessed With Lentils
School lunch menus are changing, and it's not just about health. Discover why lentils and other budget foods are appearing as districts fight inflation and cost
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Coffee Cafes
Key points
- Federal reimbursement rates for school meals are not keeping pace with food and labor inflation, forcing districts into tough budgetary choices.
- Supply chain disruptions are forcing school nutrition directors to become expert negotiators and embrace creative, last-minute menu substitutions.
- Schools are increasingly turning to scratch cooking and lower-cost, nutrient-dense ingredients like legumes to meet both budgetary and new federal nutrition standards.
- The strategies used by school kitchens, like embracing versatile staples and minimizing waste, offer valuable lessons for managing household food budgets.
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Sources and methodology
Reported from the public datasets below.
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