1. Menu Planning Tools

2. Menu Planning Worksheet
The menu planning worksheet is a useful tool in ensuring that your planned menu is meeting daily and weekly meal pattern requirements. Planned menu items are filled in with the planned portion size and meal pattern contribution. If multiple entrée items are planned a daily minimum and maximum amount for grains should be determined, taking into consideration any meat/meat alternates that have been planned to credit as a grain. The daily grain minimums should be added up to find the weekly grain minimum and ensure that requirement is being met for the age/grade group the menu is being planned for. This menu planning worksheet is only looking at components and is will not determine if nutrient specifications of the meal pattern are being met.
Note that the menu planning worksheet doesn’t take into consideration OVS. Therefore, when filling in the Min and Max for grains, you should consider the planned entrée. For example, the yogurt and granola are planned as an entrée, with the yogurt counting towards the grains component. Therefore, while the student, under OVS could potentially only take the yogurt and have 1 oz eq. of “grain”, the entrée is planned as 2 oz eq of “grain.”

3. Completed Menu Planning Worksheet
This Menu Planning worksheet was completed using the Sample Breakfast Menu posted along with this powerpoint.

4. USDA Breakfast Workbook
This slide shows a screenshot of the All Meals tab in the USDA Breakfast Workbook. The breakfast workbooks have been updated since the SY version in order to assess compliance with new meal pattern requirements. Breakfast and Lunch workbooks are competed and submitted as part of the Menu Certification Process in which schools can earn a performance based reimbursement of an additional 6 cents per reimbursable lunch served. New workbooks that assess compliance with the sodium targets will be released this summer. SFAs who are already certified do not need to submit new workbooks. However, they may be a useful tool in ensuring that planned menus are in compliance with meal pattern requirements for both components and nutrient specifications. SFAs that participate in the School Breakfast Program who are applying for certification in the SY should use the updated version of the workbook, which will be found on the Menu Certification page on our website.

5. Weekly Nutrient Calculator
Conducting a weighted nutrient analysis is going to give you the most accurate representation of calories, saturated fat and sodium found in your planned menu. The Weekly Nutrient Calculator is an excel tool developed by the DPI that allows you to complete a weighted nutrient analysis. You will need to enter your planned menu for each day of the week, the number of planned meals for the day, planned servings for each entrée or food item, and the calories, saturated fat, and sodium per serving. The calculator will give you both a daily average and a weekly average for calories, saturated fat, and sodium, which is appropriate since the meal pattern is written to consider the average nutrient specifications over the week, allowing some flexibility with your daily totals.
For more information on how to use this tool, please see the directions tab in the calculator, or watch the webcast on our website.
The Weekly Nutrient Calculator can be used for all age-grade groups and therefore does not give red or green boxes to tell you if your menu is in compliance with the dietary specifications of the meal pattern. You will need to look at the Weekly tab and compare it to your Meal Pattern table to determine if your menu is in compliance.

6. Recipe Analysis Tool
Recipe Analysis Tool and webcast are located at:
The Recipe Analysis Tool is another resource that was developed by the DPI to assist SFAs in calculating calories and saturated fat per serving for scratch recipes that they prepare. Ingredients in the recipe that contribute calories (you can leave out water and spices) are entered along with the amount used in the entire recipe and the calories and saturated fat in that amount. The number of servings per recipe must also be entered. Using that information, the tool is able to calculate the calories and saturated fat per serving. This information can be used when ensuring nutrient specifications are being met and can be entered into either the Weekly Nutrient Calculator or USDA workbook to analyze your planned menu. This tool will be updated soon to include sodium. For more information on this tool, a webcast can be viewed at the link on the slide.

7. Production Record
Production records are required to document that reimbursable meals are being served. The production record template shown here is available on our website in a word document so that it may be customized to meet the needs of your operation. It has been changed slightly since last year to meet the production record requirements that we will discuss on the next slide. This updated version will be available on our website soon. You may also use any other production record template granted that it contains all of the necessary information.
As a reminder, milk usage must be recorded on the production record by type following meal service. Alternatively, a milk recipe may be developed in which case, the milk types offered may be listed on the production record along with the total milk usage. The milk recipe should be kept on file and updated two times per year. A milk recipe template can be found on our website.

8. Production Record “Must Haves”
Serving site
Menu type (lunch, breakfast, after school snack)
Grade grouping(s)
Meal service date
Menu item with Recipe Name/Reference Number or Product Name/Description
Planned portion sizes for each grade group and adults
Planned number of portions
Total number of purchase units (2-No 10 cans, 10 lb case, 2-96 count case) prepared
Total number of portions prepared and number of portions left over (see codes on bottom of production records for leftovers)
Milk types available and actual usage by type (or milk recipe)
Planned portion size for condiment/any extra menu items & actual usage
Actual number of reimbursable and non-reimbursable meals served (adults, seconds, a la carte)
Substitutions made to original plans
The Department of Public Instruction has come up with a list of production record requirements. All items on this list must be included on your production record and documented daily. Production records found to be missing must have information during an administrative review will result in corrective action, with a potential for fiscal action if service of reimbursable meals cannot be documented.

9. Production Record “Nice to Haves”
Factors affecting meal counts such as class trips, weather, student out sick
Contribution to meal pattern for specified grade group(s) and adults (If contribution to meal pattern is not included on the production record it must be documented and available for staff using some other system.)
oz eq for meat/meat alternate & grains
cup equivalents (example: ⅛, ⅜,½) for vegetables and by sub group for lunch only
cup equivalents for fruit component (example: ½, 1)
Offer versus serve policy
Process 1,2,3 (per food safety plan chart) as job aid for staff
Heat temperatures and holding temperatures (if applicable)
Serving utensil & portion control instructions
Details about new menu items
Comments about menu/menu item acceptability
Changes to consider when/if repeated
Inclusion of additional information on the production record can be helpful for forecasting, menu planning and communication with staff. You’ll see on the production record template from DPI that there are columns for meal pattern contribution (oz eq for m/ma and grain or cup equivalent for fruit). While it is essential that you have documentation of meal pattern crediting on site, recording this information on the production record can be a final check for ensuring that the planned meal is meeting daily minimum requirements. It can also help staff know what items students must take in order to have a reimbursable meal and assist them in making appropriate substitutions when necessary.
Temperatures may be recorded on the production record or on a separate temperature log.
While the planned portion size is required, the serving utensil to be used is optional, but recommended. For example, if you are serving ½ cup of whole grain rotini noodles using a 4 oz spoodle, it would be necessary to record ½ cup of whole grain rotini noodles. While not required, it would be helpful to also record that you are using a 4 oz spoodle and that this serving credits as 1 oz eq of grain.

10. Signage Exercise

11. Breakfast Signage
As we’ve discussed, signage is crucial in communication with students and staff. We have developed a breakfast signage that can be posted to show students what they are able to take as part of their reimbursable meal. This signage along with coordinating lunch poster have been sent to all sites participating in the National School Lunch Program. You also should have received coordinating stickers, plastic sign holders, dry erase cards and dry erase markers to use on your line.
If you don’t have OVS, there are a few modifications that you could make to make the signage appropriate for your operation.
The instructional sentence below Today’s Lunch/Breakfast Choices (“Build a complete meal by selecting at least 3 items, including ½ cup of fruit, vegetable or fruit/vegetable combination”) can be covered or crossed out.
On the breakfast signage, at the bottom of each component box, “May” can be covered or crossed out so that it reads “Select __ items(s).”

12. Monday’s Menu
Using the Sample Breakfast Menu posted along with this powerpoint as an example, we have filled out the breakfast signage for the week. On Monday, we have the entrees that are available daily, which are the yogurt and granola or the breakfast sandwich as well as the menued entrée option of whole grain pancakes with syrup. The fruit for the day is ½ cup of strawberries and 4 fl oz of grape juice. As always, students are offered a variety of milk choices in a 1 cup serving size. For this menu, skim white, 1% white and skim chocolate are available daily.
For the signage, we can start by filling in the fruit choices that are offered on Monday. Strawberries are the first fruit choice and they are ½ cup, so they are 1 food item. Next is the grape juice, which is 4 fl oz, so this is also 1 food item. Since students must be offered 1 cup of fruit with their breakfast, they must be able to select 2 items from the fruit/vegetable/juice component.
Next is milk. Since 1 cup of milk is equal to 1 food item, the number of food items has already been filled in. All you need to do is fill in the milk varieties being offered and that students are allowed to select 1 food item from this component.
In the Grains/Breakfast Entrees Box, we will now fill in each of the entrée items that are offered. First, the pancakes are offered and they are 2 oz eq of grain. The menu planner has the discretion to decide if this would be 1 food item or 2 food items. We’ve decided to count the pancakes as 2 food items. The breakfast sandwich is also 2 oz eq of grain, with the meat/meat alternate counting as an extra. The menu planner has decided to count this as 2 food items as well. 4 oz of yogurt is 1 oz eq meat/meat alternate, and therefore 1 food item. Likewise, ¼ cup of granola is 1 oz eq of grain and therefore 1 food item as well. Students are able to selected 2 food items from the Grains/Breakfast Entrees Box.
In the notes box, the menu planner has indicated that students who select pancakes are able to take 1 pack of syrup with their meal.

13. Tuesday’s Menu

14. Wednesday’s Menu

15. Thursday’s Menu

16. Friday’s Menu

17. Breakfast Service Models

18. Traditional Breakfast
Serving Methods:
Reimbursable breakfasts are served in the cafeteria on a traditional serving line.
Hot menu items are more common than with other service models.
When Served: Before the school day begins.
Where Served: Cafeteria or other large area such as a gym.
Why this option is attractive:
Students arrive before school starts with time to eat
Cafeteria staff already on site to prepare lunch
Parents drop students off early to get to work on time
Bus schedule gets students to school with time to eat breakfast
Traditional breakfast is served before the school day begins, typically in the cafeteria or other large area such as a gym. Reimbursable meals are served on a traditional serving line, and hot menu items are more common with this service model than with any other.
This service model works well for many schools as students arrive before school starts with time to eat breakfast. Parents may drop students off early in order to get to work on time or the bus schedule drops students off with sufficient time for breakfast. Additionally, cafeteria staff may already be on-site to prepare lunch.

19. Breakfast in the Classroom
Serving Methods:
Bagged breakfasts containing are consumed in the classroom.
Individual breakfast components delivered to classroom.
Students pick up breakfast in the cafeteria and take it back to the classroom to eat.
When Served: Prior to the start of the school day or during first period.
Where Served: Classroom
Why this option is attractive:
Easily incorporated into existing school day schedule.
Provides a nutritious meal to students who do not have time to eat or are not hungry before start of school day.
Requires minimal additional labor hours for prep/service/clean up.
Makes the best use of available space.
With breakfast in the classroom, meals can be served in a variety of ways. Students can be offered their meal or part of the meal as a bagged breakfast, individual components can be delivered to the classroom for students to select their meal, or students can pick up their breakfast in the cafeteria and take it back to the classroom to eat. As the model name suggests, Breakfast in the classroom is served in the classroom and can take place either prior to the start of the school day or during first period.
This option can be easily incorporated into the existing school day schedule since students can eat while teachers take attendance or handout graded assignments. It provides a great start to the day for students who don’t time to eat before coming to school or may not be hungry before the school day begins. Many schools find that Breakfast in the Classroom requires minimal additional labor hours for preparation, service an clean-up once the initial planning has be implemented. It also makes the best use of space as it doesn’t require the schedule of multi-purpose rooms where lunches are served any physical education classes may occur to be altered.
Breakfast in the classroom often results in significant increases in participation compared with other breakfast models since all students are present when the meal is being served. This benefits the students as they are starting their day with a nutritious meal and will likely lead to increased revenues.
There are a couple things to keep in mind with BIC. Students must still have access to a variety of milk choices. Also, meal counts must occur at the point of service. This means that meal counts should not be taken until the student has actual received a reimbursable meal. Additionally, since in most cases the point of service is occurring in the classroom (unless each student is picking up their meal in the cafeteria), teachers will require some training on what makes up a reimbursable meal and potentially OVS, depending on what has been selected on your contract.

20. Video: School Breakfast in Maryland
This video from Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign discusses some of the benefits of breakfast and shows some examples of Breakfast in the Classroom.

21. Grab n’ Go Why this option is attractive: Serving Methods:
Bagged breakfasts are available for students to pick up and consume in designated location(s).
Individual breakfast components set out for students’ selection.
When Served: During designated serving period or morning break.
Where Served:
Mobile cart/tables near the school entrances or in high traffic areas.
On serving line with traditional breakfast and/or a la carte items
Why this option is attractive:
Easily incorporated into existing school day schedule.
Fast, nutritious option if a la carte items are sold in the morning.
Available to students who have scheduled activities prior to the beginning of the school day.
Limited amount of labor needed as breakfast items are assembled and packed when labor is available.
Grab n’ go can also be done in a variety of ways. It can be served prior to the beginning of the school day or during a morning break. Tables or mobile carts can be set up near the school entrances or in high traffic areas where students can grab a reimbursable meal on their way to class. Alternatively, grab n’ go options can be offered on the serving line where traditional breakfast options or a la carte options are offered.
Breakfasts can be pre-bagged or individual components can be set out and students can select their own reimbursable meal, and put it into a bag to go.
Grab n’ go can be easily incorporated into the existing school day schedule as students are able to taken their breakfast on the go. It’s a good option for students who have schedule activities before the school day begins and may not have time for breakfast. Additionally, breakfast items can be assembled/packed when labor is available which limits the amount of additional labor required for this model.

22. Mid-Morning Nutrition Break
Serving Methods:
Reimbursable breakfasts individually packaged in grab ‘n go bags.
Easy to eat or hand held foods are popular and more convenient.
When Served: During a break in the morning, usually between 9:00 am and 10:00 am.
Where Served: Mobile carts or tables in high traffic areas.
Why this option is attractive:
A break from classes in the morning may already be offered.
Gives students who weren’t hungry first thing in the morning a second chance.
Accommodates students who may not have the money to purchase items from vending machines.
Particularly successful in middle and high schools.
A Mid-morning nutrition break can be prepared quickly, with few staff.
Mid-Morning nutrition break, also known as breakfast after first period or second chance breakfast is served during a morning break, usually between 9am and 10am. This model is often combined with the grab n’ go concept and offered on mobile carts or tables in high traffic areas. It also sometimes offered in the cafeteria between classes depending on what works best for the school.
This option works well since students, especially in middle and high schools often already have a break from classes in the morning. It gives students who weren’t hungry first thing in the morning a second chance at breakfast. Additionally, in many rural areas, students who take the bus leave their homes very early, so even if they eat breakfast, they may be hungry again by mid-morning. This service model provides a healthy, reimbursable option as opposed to vending.
For schools who find there is no time to serve breakfast before classes, or with low participation using a before school breakfast service model, mid-morning nutrition break may be a good option.

23. Breakfast Financial Models

24. Severe Need Breakfast
Eligibility provides additional reimbursement for every free or reduced price reimbursable breakfast served.
Determined on an individual school basis.
How to determine eligibility:
40% or more of student lunches served in the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced price
For SY , second preceding year is
Fill in information when submitting online contract
If you are in a SFA that serves a high percentage of free and reduced price meals, you may qualify for Severe Need Breakfast which will increase the amount of reimbursement that you receive for the free and reduced price breakfasts that you claim. For SY , Severe Need Breakfast sites received an additional $0.31 for F/R breakfasts. Severe Need is determined on a school by school basis as listed in the most current copy of the Wisconsin school directory which may list more than one school even for districts which may be housed in one building. For example a pk-12 building may list an elementary school and a high school in the directory. Therefore, some of your schools may qualify, while others do not. To qualify for Severe Need Breakfast, 40% or more of student lunches served in the second preceding school year (the upcoming school year, that would be ), would have been served free or at a reduced price. In order to receive the additional reimbursement, you would need to fill in the Severe Need Breakfast information on your online contract.

25. Universal Free Breakfast (UFB)
Breakfast is offered at no charge to all students, regardless of their household income.
Accurate meal counts by eligibility category (i.e. free, reduced, paid) at the point of service must still be taken.
Benefits of UFB
Reduces stigma attached to eating breakfast at school
Can lead to improved attendance and decreased tardiness
Overall labor costs per meal are less (although labor needs may increase)
Breakfast participation (and therefore reimbursement) increase so significantly that a loss from otherwise paying students may not be experienced.
With Universal Free Breakfast, breakfast is offered to all students at no charge regardless of their household income. Meal counts must still be taken and students must be claimed according to the correct eligibility category (free, reduced or paid) at the point of service so that an accurate claim can be submitted to the State Agency for reimbursement. While students are not change for their meals, the SFA is still reimbursed according to the student’s actual eligibility category. For example, if a student that qualifies for paid meals were to eat breakfast under UFB, they would not be charged, but the school would be reimbursed at the paid rate for that student.
Some benefits of UFB are that it can reduce the stigma attached to eating breakfast at school. Often people associate school breakfast with low income families who qualify for free or reduced price meals, but providing free breakfast to all students can eliminate this association. It can lead it improved attendance and decreased tardiness as students are at school on time to receive their morning meal. While the amount of labor may increase, overall labor costs per meal are less. Finally, breakfast participation and therefore reimbursement can increase so significantly that a loss in revenue from otherwise paying students may not be experienced by the school.

26. UFB Continued Who can participate in UFB?
No free and reduced eligibility requirement.
Typically most cost effective in schools with >70% F/R students, but schools with fewer eligible students have operated the program successfully.
Qualifying for Severe Need Breakfast is beneficial as it provides additional reimbursement.
Biggest determining factors are cost per meal and percentage of free and reduced students.
See the Cost Analysis Spreadsheet on our website to determine if UFB is feasible in your school:
There is no requirement for a school to have a certain percentage of students eligible for free and reduced price meals. UFB is typically most cost effective in schools with >70% of students qualify for free and reduced price meals, but schools with fewer eligible students have also operated the program successfully. Qualifying for Severe need Breakfast is beneficial as it provides additional reimbursement. UFB can be paired with any of the breakfast service models that were discussed. However, it often works well with BIC due to the increased participation achieved with this model and the captive student audience. The biggest determining factors in whether or not UFB will be feasible in your school are cost per meal and percentage of free and reduced students. There is a Cost Analysis Spreadsheet available on our website that will help you take a look at the financial feasibility of implementing this option. Also, keep in mind that UFB can be implemented on a site by site basis. Therefore it is possible to trial it in one school first to see how it goes before expanding the option to other sites.
Your participation UFB is indicated through a checkbox for each site on Schedule A as well as when entering in your meal prices for Breakfast on your online contract.

27. Video: Is “Universal Free Breakfast” the way to go?

28. Elimination of Reduced Price Breakfast
Only two prices are offered at breakfast: free and paid
Students who would qualify for reduced price meals receive free breakfast.
Why this option is attractive:
Schools with high F/R percentage, but low participation of reduced price qualifying students can increase participation.
Participation and therefore federal reimbursement may increase enough to cover the cost of serving breakfast to these students for free.
By eliminating the reduced price breakfast, students who qualify for reduced price meals are offered breakfast for free. This removes any potential financial barrier to their participation in the School Breakfast Program. This option works well for schools with a free and reduced percentage but a low participation of reduced price qualifying students. Providing free breakfast can increase participation and therefore federal reimbursement, often sufficiently to cover the cost of serving breakfast to these students for free.
Note that all students should still be claimed according to their correct eligibility category.
Your participation in Elimination of Reduced Price Breakfast is indicated through a checkbox for each site on Schedule A as well as when entering in your meal prices for Breakfast on your online contract.

29. Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
Identified student percentage of at least 40 percent based on data as of April 1st of the prior school year required to participate.
The 40 percent threshold to participate in CEP can be determined at the SFA level, by individual school or by grouping several schools together to get the needed percentage rate.
SFAs will be reimbursed at a Federal free category rate using the ratio of Identified Students to enrolled students (who have access to one meal service daily), multiplied by the USDA multiplier factor.
Current USDA Multiplier Factor is 1.6.
To participate in CEP, SFAs and/or schools or groups of schools must have an identified student percentage of at least 40% based on data as of April 1st of the prior school year. This 40% can be determined based on the entire district or any combination of schools.
Identified Students are students who are eligible for free meals without the collection of applications, and include the following:
Directly certified on the basis of participation in the FoodShare, Wisconsin Works (W-2) Cash Benefits, and the extension of benefits to students within the same household
Directly certified foster child [Foster children do not provide an extension of benefits.]
Homeless, runaway, or migrant youth (certified by coordinator listing)
Head Start (certified by the Head Start coordinator listing)
Residential Child Care Institutions are not eligible to participate in CEP.
All meals served at CEP schools are free for all students and schools, and reimbursement for schools is determined using a ratio of Identified students to enrolled students multipled by the USDA multiplier factor, which is currently 1.6. The multiplier factor is intended to estimate the number of free and reduced price meals that would have been served if applications were collected. The difference between the free claiming percentage and 100 percent represents the paid claiming percentage. There are no reduced price meals in CEP.

30. CEP Continued Benefits of CEP
Lunches and breakfast are served free to all students in participating schools
No household applications for free and reduced price meals are collected
No verification of free and reduced applications is required
Potential for increased meal participation rates, especially breakfast
Simplifies the counting and claiming process by not having to track free, reduced and paid students
For more information, visit:
Note: FNS memo SP released on June 12th, 2014 extended the deadline to apply for participation in CEP to August 31st, 2014.

31. Breakfast Resources

32. How to find the Wisconsin BIC toolkit
Click on: “Publications and Research”
Contact Information:
Amy Korth 32

33. Resources DPI School Breakfast Program Menu Planning site:
FNS New Meal Pattern website
USDA Energize Your Day With School Breakfast Toolkit
USDA Whole Grain Resource
Best Practices Sharing Center
School Breakfast Program Promo Video for Parents
ChildObesity180 Breakfast Effect Video Series
As always, we will keep you all posted- through our FNS website and blasts- as other updates are made.

34. Thank You!
The U.S Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online athttp:// or at any USDA office, or call (866) to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C , by fax (202) or at Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) ; or (800) (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.