You became a program leader to make a real difference.
This book gives you everything you need to do exactly that.
School nutrition is one of the most complex business operations in public education. You manage budgets, staff, menus, compliance, facilities, and food safety often with limited resources and high expectations.
School Nutrition Management, 7th Edition was written for leaders like you.
Why School Nutrition Leaders Need This Book
"The most comprehensive, practice-driven resource ever written for school nutrition program leaders — now fully updated for today's environment."
Managing a school meal program means making hundreds of decisions every day — about food, people, money, facilities, and compliance. Most of those decisions have no textbook answer.
Until now. School Nutrition Management, 7th Edition, is the authoritative guide written by respected subject matter experts. It doesn't just describe best practices. It equips you to apply them in your unique context, with your staff, your budget, and your community.
Who This Book Is Written For
School Nutrition Directors
Lead your program with confidence from strategic planning and financial oversight to staff development and community engagement.
Kitchen Managers & Supervisors
Master the day-to-day decisions that determine whether your program succeeds — production, staffing, food safety, and quality.
Educators & Higher-Ed Students
The definitive classroom and professional development resource for school nutrition management courses and credentialing programs.
Dietitians & Nutrition Professionals
Understand the full operational and financial ecosystem of school nutrition, not just the nutrition science.
What You'll Find Inside
This isn't theory. Every chapter is grounded in the operational reality of school meal programs — what works, what doesn't, and how to adapt when circumstances change.
Cycle Menu & Food Production Systems
Factors to consider when planning menus, pre-costing, and how the food production system shapes your entire operation.
Facility & Equipment Design
Space planning, equipment selection, and design considerations grounded in real school nutrition practice.
Financial Key Performance Indicators
Track the metrics that matter most — meals per labor hour, food and labor cost per meal, CEP calculations, and the KPIs that drive program financial health.
Staffing & Personnel
Work schedules, time standards, performance management, and strategies for building a high-performing team.
Resolving Financial Problems
Practical strategies for identifying, diagnosing, and correcting financial challenges from cost overruns and labor inefficiencies to revenue shortfalls.
Procurement & Inventory Control
Purchasing strategies, vendor management, inventory systems, and cost control methods that keep your program running efficiently.
School meal programs serve over 30 million children every day.
The leaders running those programs deserve a resource equal to that responsibility. Budget cuts. Staffing shortages. Supply chain disruptions. Rising food costs. Changing nutrition standards. The 7th Edition addresses these realities head-on, offering not just principles, but practical tools and strategies you can put to work immediately.
Exclusive Preorder Bonus
Free Staffing Calculator Tech Tool
Anyone who reserves their copy before July 21, 2026, will receive exclusive access to the Staffing Calculator Tech Tool — a digital resource designed specifically for school nutrition program leaders.
Quickly calculate Meals Per Labor Hour (MPLH) by school, compare performance across sites, identify staffing inefficiencies, and make data-driven decisions that protect your program financially.
Meals per labor hour is one of the most critical financial metrics in school nutrition. This tool makes it simple — input your data, see your numbers, take action.
Reserve Your Copy Today
Be among the first to receive the book + your free Staffing Calculator Tech Tool.
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