Feeding hundreds of kids is no small task. It’s important for schools to offer meals that are nutritious, filling, and enticing for kids of all ages. You already know the basics of serving plenty of fruits and vegetables, choosing whole-grain options, and avoiding too much sugar, sodium, or saturated fats. What else can you do to ensure every student gets a balanced meal at school? Here are three easy ways to improve your school’s lunch menu.

Focus on Variety

For students, school features a lot of repetition. While stable routines can be good, you don’t want kids to feel bored. One easy way to improve your school’s lunch menu is to offer plenty of variety throughout the school year. Try new recipes and ways of preparing options. For example, replace tater tots with sweet potato fries once in a while. Or offer different types of salads throughout the month. New options keep your menu interesting and encourage kids to try new foods.

Remember Portion Sizes

Portion sizes are a huge part of proper nutrition. Do what you can to balance national health regulations with your students’ needs. Remember that you’re serving growing kids, and many of them have busy days full of sports and other after-school activities. Healthy portions of nutritious foods will give your students the fuel they need to get through the day.

Support Your Menu with Add-Ons or Alternatives

Another way to offer your kids plenty of variety and nutrition is to give them options. Add-ons and alternatives give your students the power of choice while still making sure they eat healthily. Setting up a salad bar is a great alternative for students who want to build their own healthy meals. You can also serve fresh add-ons, like juice from a commercial fruit juice machine. The extra options make meals more interesting and give kids a little more freedom with what they eat.

Offering fresh fruit or vegetable juice is a great way to make your school lunches more colorful. Invest in a commercial juicer from Juicernet and set your cafeteria up for success today.