Based on interviews with 33 school food professionals, “Scaling up Healthy, Climate-Friendly School Food: Strategies for Success” provides resources and numerous examples from 18 public school districts showcasing the climate benefits and strategies that school food visionaries are successfully deploying to serve more plant-forward foods on their lunch menus.

The report provides a comprehensive road map for boosting student participation rates and increasing appreciation of healthier, climate-friendly food. Key strategies include:

• Using fresh and local ingredients; increasing scratch and speed-scratch cooking and serving plant-forward meals in a friendly dining environment via food trucks, food courts, build-a-bowl stations, salad bars, grab-n-go carts and plant-based “pop-up restaurants.”
• Engaging students and creating opportunities for taste tests, including try-it days, recipe competitions, build-a-meal concepts, student focus groups and food festivals.
• Positive messaging that highlights the flavors and deliciousness of plant-forward items while avoiding the words “vegan” and “vegetarian.”
• Investing in staff training and better cooking facilities for scratch cooking.
• Identifying culturally appropriate recipes and employing staff ambassadors as effective and motivational spokespeople who can help instill healthy eating habits.
• Ensuring class-based and parent-focused nutrition education, including school gardens.
• Implementing creative revenue generation strategies and increasing joint procurement bids for plant-based products.