District: Upsala Area Schools ISD 487
Grades: Pre-K – 12
Student Population: 345
Location: Upsala, Minnesota
When the head cook resigned at Upsala Area Schools, the district brought in a new person with limited experience managing a school nutrition program but with valuable skills to serve its 345 students from Upsala and surrounding communities in Pre-K through 12th grade. After 16 months of following the previous menus and processes, the new head cook and co-food director realized there was a lot of food waste and changes needed to be made. This success story shows how adopting Menu Freedom helped increase confidence in maintaining USDA compliance, speed the learning curve and achieve the goal of reducing food waste. The bonus was students trying new foods.
The Challenge
When Alice Westrich became head cook and co-food director at Upsala Area Schools, she was stepping into unfamiliar territory. Living in a rural area, she brought valuable life experience – farming corn, alfalfa, and barley and raising beef cattle – but limited experience managing a school nutrition program.
She followed her predecessor’s approach of serving two entrées each day. While the goal was to offer students more choice, the reality created a food waste problem.
“We were wasting so much food. One entrée was always more popular than the other and food leftover from the second entrée got discarded,” Westrich shared.
At the same time, predicting student demand was difficult, sometimes leaving students disappointed when their preferred option ran out.
“It made matters worse to see the disappointment on the kids’ faces when the entrée they wanted had run out,” she added.
Skeptical that she should make a change when she was new to the role, but she could tell the kids were ready for a change. And she was too.
The Solution
After a colleague at a nearby school district highly recommended Menu Freedom, Westrich decided to give the program a try.
One of the most impactful changes was shifting from offering two daily entrées to one carefully planned entrée using Menu Freedom’s flexible student-approved menus. Students quickly embraced the new menu items, like chicken patty on a bun, queso meatball subs, and chicken nachos. The menus also introduced new ingredients and flavors. When chicken nachos were served, some students tried cilantro for the first time… and liked it!
“It’s fun to expand their horizons and serve food they haven’t experienced before,” she said.
Menu Freedom’s training resources and videos also helped Westrich better understand offer versus serve and reimbursable meal requirements, strengthening confidence that meals were meeting USDA guidelines.
The Impact
“Menu Freedom has been a win-win-win for me, our foodservice program and the students,” Westrich commented.
After implementing Menu Freedom, Upsala Area Schools not only reduced food waste but also experienced other immediate benefits.
- Simpler kitchen operations: With the entire team focused on preparing one entrée each day instead of two, kitchen prep became easier and more efficient.
- Greater student engagement: Students enjoyed the variety and responded positively to new menu items
- Confidence in compliance: The library of resources helped ensure meals aligned with USDA standards and reduced stress about Administrative Reviews.
- A more enjoyable job: having a partner who really understands the challenges provides peace of mind and a stronger sense of support.
For small and rural districts like Upsala Area Schools, having the right tools and guidance can make all the difference. By simplifying menu planning, reducing waste, and helping ensure compliance, Menu Freedom enabled the district to turn its program into one that is more enjoyable for staff and students.
See How Menu Freedom Can Help Simplify Menu Planning
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Menu Freedom can give you the confidence in creating menus that are USDA-compliant with recipes that are chef-designed and student-tested – key ingredients to reduce food waste and increase participation.
Ready to see how it works? Schedule a demo today.