Menus and Recipes
Offering a Complete Breakfast
Start your menu off smart by planning a complete breakfast for children to fuel their day. Children participating in the USDA School Breakfast Program at their schools will be offered whole grains, fruit, and milk every morning centered around meal pattern requirements. Be sure to take the trainings below to help you prepare when planning your menu.
Seasonal Breakfast Menus
Planning a cycle menu for your operation will create routine and confidence in your breakfast operation. Adding seasonal cycle menus incorporates fresh ingredients and customer satisfaction.
Take a look at these seasonal breakfast menus created by Chef Brenda. Watch as she demonstrates cooking these easy to prepare, student approved recipes. Navigate through Dairy West site to download the recipes, nutrition analysis, production records, and other menu documentation.
Daily Breakfast Menu Costs
Identifying and monitoring food costs is an essential piece of menu planning and contributes greatly to program success. Use the Menu Costing Calculator below to fill in a five-day breakfast menu, determine the cost per menu item, and calculate the total cost for each day’s meal.
Here is how to use the calculator for your average food cost per breakfast:
Enter the name of the food items under the day they will be served on your menu.
Enter the cost per serving of each food item in the column next to the food.
Your average food cost per breakfast will instantly be calculated at the bottom of the calculator.
Considerations for Menu Planning
Menu planning is more than choosing food items to group and serve together. A well-planned menu makes considerations such as the equipment needed for the foods to be prepared and served, buying local ingredients, and customer satisfaction of the students. Check out the links and resources below to complete your Start Smart breakfast menu.
Buy Local!
Utah has great farmers and producers with fresh ingredients for purchase. Purchasing local ingredients for your breakfast program benefits the farmers, the local community, and students. Check out the Utah Farm to Fork website to connect with local farmers and producers at Utah Farm to Fork.
Breakfast Equipment
Assess what equipment can be utilized for breakfast service for effective and delicious meals. For deliver to classrooms and grab n’ go stations, check out the resource below for suggested equipment to keep meals hot or cold.
Resource: Breakfast After the Bell Equipment Tips (PDF)
Customer Satisfaction
Children are the customer, and their input and opinions should be a driving force to designing a delicious menu and providing nutritious meals. Conducting a taste testing or starting a student menu committee can elevate your breakfast menu with invaluable feedback. Check out these resources to start a taste test today!
Resource: Plan Your Taste Testing (PDF)
Resource: Conducting a Taste Test Timeline (PDF)
Resource: Student Taste Test Surveys (PDF)