Making the Grade
Making the Grade 2024-2025
Making the Grade provides regulation updates, product updates, great tools for school foodservice, and more. Don't have your copy of Making the Grade yet? Contact your Gordon Food Service Customer Development Specialist or download excerpts from the book using the links below.
If you have any suggestions or comments on this publication, please share them directly with the Nutrition Resource Center at (800) 968-4426 or nrc@gfs.com.
Menus & Product Lists
distribution centers: Grand Rapids & Brighton, MI; Kenosha, wi; springfield, oh; imperial, pa; shepherdsville, ky
Cycle Menus
Below are sample breakfast and lunch menus for grades K-8 and 9-12. Please check out the menu outlines, complete with serving sizes, reorder numbers, and school lunch equivalent information. K-12 menus meet the USDA Meal Pattern Guidelines (NSLP/SBP/SSO).
Please call the Nutrition Resource Center at 1-800-968-4426 for additional information.
Product Lists
Shop Gordon Food Service's most popular products for schools, organized in lists to help your program meet regulations. These lists are intended to assist in your menu planning to ensure you are using items with the appropriate documentation, therefore, it is recommended to only select items with confirmed documentation. Please note that manufacturers may change formulations, which can affect the content of products. It is good practice to verify information on the actual label of each product.
distribution centers: Plant city & miami, FL
Cycle Menus
Below are sample breakfast and lunch menus for grades K-8 and 9-12. Please check out the menu outlines, complete with serving sizes, reorder numbers, and school lunch equivalent information. K-12 menus meet the USDA Meal Pattern Guidelines (NSLP/SBP/SSO).
Please call the Nutrition Resource Center at 1-800-968-4426 for additional information.
Product Lists
Shop Gordon Food Service's most popular products for schools, organized in lists to help your program meet regulations. These lists are intended to assist in your menu planning to ensure you are using items with the appropriate documentation, therefore, it is recommended to only select items with confirmed documentation. Please note that manufacturers may change formulations, which can affect the content of products. It is good practice to verify information on the actual label of each product.
distribution centers: houston & dallas, tx
Cycle Menus
Below are sample breakfast and lunch menus for grades K-8 and 9-12. Please check out the menu outlines, complete with serving sizes, reorder numbers, and school lunch equivalent information. K-12 menus meet the USDA Meal Pattern Guidelines. (NSLP/SBP/SSO).
Please email the Nutrition Resource Center at nrc@gfs.com for additional information.
Product Lists
Shop Gordon Food Service's most popular products for schools, organized in lists to help your program meet regulations. These lists are intended to assist in your menu planning to ensure you are using items with the appropriate documentation, therefore, it is recommended to only select items with confirmed documentation. Please note that manufacturers may change formulations, which can affect the content of products. It is good practice to verify information on the actual label of each product.
distribution center: taunton, ma
Cycle Menus
Below are sample breakfast and lunch menus for grades K-8 and 9-12. Please check out the menu outlines, complete with serving sizes, reorder numbers, and school lunch equivalent information. K-12 menus meet the USDA Meal Pattern Guidelines (NSLP/SBP/SSO).
Please call the Nutrition Resource Center at 1-800-968-4426 for additional information.
Product Lists
Shop Gordon Food Service's most popular products for schools, organized in lists to help your program meet regulations. These lists are intended to assist in your menu planning to ensure you are using items with the appropriate documentation, therefore, it is recommended to only select items with confirmed documentation. Please note that manufacturers may change formulations, which can affect the content of products. It is good practice to verify information on the actual label of each product.
distribution center: aberdeen, md
Cycle Menus
Below are sample breakfast and lunch menus for grades K-8 and 9-12. Please check out the menu outlines, complete with serving sizes, reorder numbers, and school lunch equivalent information. K-12 menus meet the USDA Meal Pattern Guidelines (NSLP/SBP/SSO).
Please call the Nutrition Resource Center at 1-800-968-4426 for additional information.
Product Lists
Shop Gordon Food Service's most popular products for schools, organized in lists to help your program meet regulations. These lists are intended to assist in your menu planning to ensure you are using items with the appropriate documentation, therefore, it is recommended to only select items with confirmed documentation. Please note that manufacturers may change formulations, which can affect the content of products. It is good practice to verify information on the actual label of each product.
distribution center: Douglasville, ga
Cycle Menus
Below are sample breakfast and lunch menus for grades K-8 and 9-12. Please check out the menu outlines, complete with serving sizes, reorder numbers, and school lunch equivalent information. K-12 menus meet the USDA Meal Pattern Guidelines (NSLP/SBP/SSO).
Please call the Nutrition Resource Center at 1-800-968-4426 for additional information.
Product Lists
Shop Gordon Food Service's most popular products for schools, organized in lists to help your program meet regulations. These lists are intended to assist in your menu planning to ensure you are using items with the appropriate documentation, therefore, it is recommended to only select items with confirmed documentation. Please note that manufacturers may change formulations, which can affect the content of products. It is good practice to verify information on the actual label of each product.
If you have any suggestions or comments on this publication, please share them directly with the Nutrition Resource Center at (800) 968-4426 or nrc@gfs.com.
distribution center: Kannapolis, nc
Cycle Menus
Below are sample breakfast and lunch menus for grades K-8 and 9-12. Please check out the menu outlines, complete with serving sizes, reorder numbers, and school lunch equivalent information. K-12 menus meet the USDA Meal Pattern Guidelines.
Please call the Nutrition Resource Center at 1-800-968-4426 for additional information.
Product Lists
Shop Gordon Food Service's most popular products for schools, organized in lists to help your program meet regulations. These lists are intended to assist in your menu planning to ensure you are using items with the appropriate documentation, therefore, it is recommended to only select items with confirmed documentation. Please note that manufacturers may change formulations, which can affect the content of products. It is good practice to verify information on the actual label of each product.
Additional Menu Support Tools
If you don’t see a menu specific to your DC, please reach out to your Sales Rep or nrc@gfs.com
Back to School Menu (NSLP/SSO)
This menu is a two-week cycle based mainly on individually wrapped items. These menus follow the meal patterns for NSLP, SBP and SSO. Please select your menu based on the distribution center (city, state) listed below.
Back to School Individually Wrapped Menu Springfield, OH K-8
Back to School Individually Wrapped Menu Springfield, OH 9-12
Back to School Individually Wrapped Menu Shepherdsville, KY K-8
Back to School Individually Wrapped Menu Shepherdsville, KY 9-12
Back to School Individually Wrapped Menu Brighton and Grand Rapids, MI K-8
Back to School Individually Wrapped Menu Brighton and Grand Rapids, MI 9-12
Back to School Traditional Menu (NSLP/SSO)
This menu is a two-week cycle and includes a combination of items and simple recipes. These menus follow the meal patterns for NSLP, SBP and SSO. Please select the menu below based on the distribution center (city, state) listed below.
Back to School Traditional Menu Springfield, OH K-8
Back to School Traditional Menu Springfield, OH 9-12
Back to School Traditional Menu Shepherdsville, KY K-8
Back to School Traditional Menu Shepherdsville, KY 9-12
Back to School Traditional Menu Brighton and Grand Rapids, MI K-8
Back to School Traditional Menu Brighton and Grand Rapids, MI 9-12
Summer and Emergency Feeding Menus
This menu is based on Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) regulations and focuses on mainly individually wrapped items. Please select your menu based on the distribution center (city, state) listed below.
SFSP Individually Wrapped Menu
This menu is based on Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) regulations and includes a combinations of items and simple recipes.
SFSP Individually Wrapped Menu Springfield, OH
SFSP Individually Wrapped Menu Shepherdsville, KY
SFSP Individually Wrapped Menu Brighton and Grand Rapids, MI
SFSP Individually Wrapped Menu Kenosha, WI
SFSP Traditional Menu
SFSP Traditional Menu Springfield, OH
SFSP Traditional Menu Shepherdsville, KY
Menu Substitutions
Use the commodity product lists (based on the distribution center listed) below to help identify product substitutions, if needed.
Menu Substitutions Springfield, OH
Menu Substitutions Shepherdsville, KY
Meal Service Solutions
Ideas for meal service carts and containers, which may be helpful for meals in the classroom.
Bulk Meals in Schools
Schools are continuously challenged to "think outside the box" during any public health emergency, the way that they prepare and provide meals to school-aged children. Waivers have allowed program operators to provide more than 1 days' worth of meals to eligible children with single-meal pick-up/delivery options. Although there are considerations that program coordinators must think through, this provides another avenue to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the virus.
Bulk Meals can:
Require less trips for the parent/guardian to pick up meals.
Allow more flexibility in pick up times if providing food in advance of meals, i.e. evening pick-ups.
Ensure that once meals are picked up, children have enough food for multiple days as opposed to relying on each day's meal pick up.
Increase meal count numbers due to convenience.
Potentially save schools districts' funds in providing food items in bulk packaging as opposed to single-serve packages.
If you are interested in starting a bulk meal pick-up/delivery process in your community, contact your Gordon Food Service sales team member for product ideas available in your area. You can also use this helpful resource from the USDA on how to provide multiple meals during any public health emergency.
K12 Meal Kits
Foodservice operations are always looking to control costs or find new ways to generate revenue. Making meals available to school employees and students' families can help with both, especially if you prepare meal kits with ingredients you already purchase.
KidZ.i.n.e
Explore these fun food topics. These pages include fun recipes, experiments, and activities to promote a healthy lifestyle, and good nutrition for your students.
Menu Design Made Easy
Kid-friendly, ready-to-use designs make it easy for you to create personalized student menus. Click here to get started.