Open-campus policies can devastate school lunch programs. Some school systems compete with fast-food outlets by offering similar menus; others hire private contractors to construct mall-like food courts. Several Colorado and California school districts have devised innovative programs to halt lunchtime flight without sacrificing nutrition. A…

To offset federal subsidy cutbacks, climbing food costs, and increasing wage demands, a Missouri school district hired a food management company. The district not only saved money, but also realized a profit, served more nutritious meals, needed less in-house recordkeeping, and concentrated more energy on education. (MLH)

According to a 1991 National Cholesterol Education Program report, the best way to avoid heart trouble is to take early preventive measures. This means that children over age two should follow the same low-fat, low-cholesterol guidelines already recommended for adults. Sidebars contain a fat glossary and tips for cutting fat in school lunches.…

Outlines service costs, meal planning, and physical arrangements for those in charge of meal functions, whether they be large board dinners or small administrator luncheons, and held at restaurants, hotels, or school cafeterias. (KS)

If school architects, cafeteria designers, and some food service personnel have their way, the long, grey serving line characterizing most school cafeterias will go the way of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. This means booths and restaurant-like tables, school colors, brightly lit menu boards, windows overlooking courtyards, and mall-like…

A special report on school food service discusses the following: (1) new directions in the federal commodities program; (2) cafeteria etiquette strategies; (3) menus and management for school breakfast programs; (4) balancing nutrition and cost effectiveness; and (5) recycling cafeteria waste. (MLF)

Local restaurant managers suggested ways for the Orcutt Union School District, California, to set up a centralized, self-service lunch program that has reduced labor and food costs. Instructions for ordering an information packet about the program from the district are provided. (MLF)

Schools are increasingly turning to fast-food restaurants such as Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Pizza Hut to fill the stomachs of kids turned off by standard school lunches. Kids are delighted, but critics say fast-food infiltration of school cafeterias encourages poor nutrition. Schools might consider adopting lighter fast-food fare or starting…

By relying on new computer hardware and software, school food service departments can keep better records of daily food consumption, free and reduced-price meals, inventory, production, and other essentials. The most commonly used systems fall into two basic categories: point-of-sale computers and behind-the-counter systems. State funding efforts…

This year's budget cleaver has chopped away at school cafeteria budgets across the country. In some districts, this means fewer choices on the lunch line, fewer staffers, deteriorating equipment, and more sales of snack and processed foods. Some schools have dropped the School Lunch Program because of budget cuts. (MLH)