Resource Center

Hungry for what's new in Aramark Student Nutrition? Check out our one-stop-shop resource library for the freshest K-12 bites and read more about what's going on across the many districts we serve nationwide!

07.07.25
Meet The Chef | Chef Jenise Pickett
Chef Jenise shares the power of school meals and reflects on her journey from Trenton student to School Executive Chef, highlighting the initiatives and programs she’s implemented to make sure her students enjoy lunch every day.
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06.12.25
Meet The Chef | Chef Laura McMann
Chef Laura Leads a Special Group of Culinarians Revolutionizing K-12 Dining.
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04.03.25
Meet The Chef | Chef David Thornton
Chef David Thornton of Aramark Student Nutrition and Bentonville Public Schools shares his journey from elite catering to teaching the next generation of chefs.
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01.01.25
USDA 2025 Changes
To stay compliant with new USDA school nutrition standards and maintain student participation, school districts should begin evaluating new products and menu items.
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08.01.24
How to Make School Meals More Attractive
Increase student satisfaction and break the chain reaction of decreased participation, increased food waste, and reduced reimbursements. Find out how in this guide.
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06.30.24
Thinking Outside the Lunchbox | Guest Chef Program
Aramark Student Nutrition strives to creatively drive engagement across all the districts we serve, especially fostering long-lasting memories amongst students and staff. See how our talented team at Indian Hill School District uses familiar faces during lunchtime to brighten students' days.
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06.30.24
Powering Potential Q&A | Beth Ann Engelland
In celebration of National Nutrition Month, Aramark Student Nutrition recently hosted a Q&A session with Beth Ann Engelland, Vice President of Culinary & Nutrition and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
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10.09.23
Our Culinary Alliance
Explore how the Aramark Student Nutrition Culinary Alliance chefs gather input from students, administrators, and operators, and collaborate to transform that feedback into food that inspires in this 2-minute video.
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10.09.23
The Aramark Student Nutrition Difference
Listen as Barbara Flanagan, President and CEO of Aramark Student Nutrition, discusses the five main ways the team engages students: wellness education, culinary engagement, student insights & advisory committees, marketing programs, and training & career development in this 4-minute video.
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10.09.23
Our Service Capabilities
Providing meals that inspire students and power their potential is the work of more than just chefs and dietitians. Aramark Student Nutrition President & CEO Barbara Flanagan shares how an unmatched network of local, regional and national experts work with culinary professionals in districts throughout the country to bring to life exciting school nutrition programs in this 2-minute video.
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10.03.23
Culinary Innovation
How do schools engage students to create menus they love? Aramark Student Nutrition President & CEO Barbara Flanagan and VP of Operational Excellence Beth Ann Engelland, MBA, RDN share how our teams engage students to create menus students love and that power their potential in this 3-minute video.
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08.03.23
Renowned Chefs Bring Flavors Of Chicago To School Menus With Local Chef Council
Some of Chicago’s very best chefs and food professionals are sharing their culinary passions with students throughout the Chicago Public School District, bringing local flavors and dishes to school menus. The featured chefs bring a creative flair to the school menu with custom-created recipes incorporating locally sourced food. Students are exposed to new flavors and dishes, which are served district-wide, while also having the opportunity to participate in live cooking demonstrations and other unparalleled educational experiences. Learn more about how the CPS Chef Council and Aramark Student Nutrition are on a joint mission to increase awareness and fuel enthusiasm around school meal options in this guide.
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07.25.23
Aramark Offers Chef-created Menus Students Love
K-12 students seek quality in their school lunch and breakfast programs. That’s why Aramark offers chef-created menus to deliver healthier meals and, ultimately, enhance student performance. Discover why several school districts trust Aramark to serve their students high-quality favorites that support good nutrition. From locally sourced produce to diverse, varied meals, student feedback is consistently incorporated into customized options driving higher satisfaction and participation. Our dining options come to life in this 3-minute video.
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07.25.23
Stay Ahead Of Culinary Trends: Partner With Aramark
Refining and redefining the school dining experience starts with building upon the four elements we know Gen Z and Gen Alpha are looking for: quality, health, convenience and personalization. When you partner with Aramark, we use surveys and insight tools to help our chefs and dietitians create a variety of wholesome meal options that accommodate your students’ dietary restrictions and desires. Every meal we plan starts with keeping your students healthy and providing them with food that will foster their learning experience throughout the rest of their day. Learn more about how improving the student dining experience will not only increase program participation but also your bottom line in this informational video.
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06.23.23
Culinary Alliance
Culinary Innovation is on the Menu at Schools Nationwide
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03.30.23
Illinois District Success Stories
Aramark Student Nutrition Dining Services Bring Quality and Financial Success to Illinois School Districts
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03.29.23
Best Practices For Managing K-12 Central Foodservice Upgrade Adds Vital Support, Elevates Food, and Builds Community: Lessons Learned From Round Rock ISD
Fort Worth Independent School District has seen a significant amplification of its dining program following a new partnership with Aramark Student Nutrition. The collaboration prioritized innovation on the menu, relaunching a breakfast program and strengthening community ties—all while achieving perfect audit scores. Discover how the district achieved such a dramatic impact in this eye-opening case study.
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02.16.23
Why Aramark Student Nutrition Dining Services
The Partner You Can Trust to Care As Much As You Do
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02.01.23
The High Cost Of A Low Bid
Too often, when K-12 school districts are searching for a nutrition service provider, they award the contract to the provider with the lowest bid without considering all factors. However, that option could be the costliest. The vendor may be priced low for a reason — namely, because they don’t bring the highest quality services and products to the table. As a result, you may experience costly outcomes, such as hiring difficulties, high staff turnover, poor quality meals and low student participation.
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12.19.22
Ripon Area School District: Renewing Students’ Interest In The School Nutrition Program
Ripon Area School District increased overall meal sales by 64% and snacks by 196% by making healthy, high-quality offerings a top priority. See their recipe for success in this short case study.
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10.24.22
Insights to Innovation
We asked over 33,000 students and 6,000 parents what they want. Here’s a quick summary of our findings—from how they define quality to preferred menu items.
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10.24.22
Lubbock ISD Local Chef Community Council
“The Chef Community Council has been an immense success for Lubbock ISD for both students and staff,” says Steven Martinez, director of procurement services. “Our students have the opportunity to try new foods and flavors, while staff are learning new skills and techniques in the kitchen.” Discover how Lubbock ISD has maximized its partnership with Aramark Student Nutrition and community partners to meet rising student and parent expectations for school meals in this new case study.
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09.27.22
Powering Potential With Fresh, Hydroponic Produce
Listen as Sarah Viera, executive director of business services at Mequon-Thiensville School District, shares how fresh, hydroponic produce is engaging students, providing healthier meal options and providing creative thinking for the future in this 2-minute video.
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04.21.22
Introducing Dailypay
Pre-Payday App Gives You Greater Hiring Potential and Your Workers Greater Financial Flexibility
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08.19.21
Empowering People and Businesses Through Supplier Diversity
Minority firms report only 12% of receipts compared to nonminority firms, a difference of $8.5 trillion dollars each year. It's time for a change. Successful small businesses have the power to lift up the community and provide economic value. That is why Aramark has committed to empowering people and businesses through supplier diversity. See our promise and our impact so far in this program overview.
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07.20.20
Transitioning to No-Cost Meal Programs
Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, high-poverty schools and school districts became eligible to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows these schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Since CEP’s introduction, thousands of school districts across the U.S. have transitioned some or all of their schools to the program, helping reduce student food insecurity.
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05.05.20
Best Practices For Managing K-12 Central Kitchens: Lessons Learned From Round Rock ISD
A central kitchen can provide schools within your district an efficient way to provide healthy and tasty food to all your students.
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09.24.19
How to Create a Self-Sustaining K-12 Dining Program
School Districts Transform Student Dining without General Funds
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07.07.18
Are These 3 Outsourcing Misconceptions Limiting Your District Meal Program?
An ever-growing number of K-12 school districts are experiencing the advantages that come from outsourcing their meal programs.
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Resource Center

Meet The Chef | Chef Jenise Pickett

Meet The Chef | Chef Laura McMann

Meet The Chef | Chef David Thornton

USDA 2025 Changes

How to Make School Meals More Attractive

Thinking Outside the Lunchbox | Guest Chef Program

Powering Potential Q&A | Beth Ann Engelland

Our Culinary Alliance

The Aramark Student Nutrition Difference

Our Service Capabilities

Culinary Innovation

Renowned Chefs Bring Flavors Of Chicago To School Menus With Local Chef Council

Aramark Offers Chef-created Menus Students Love

Stay Ahead Of Culinary Trends: Partner With Aramark

Culinary Alliance

Illinois District Success Stories

Best Practices For Managing K-12 Central Foodservice Upgrade Adds Vital Support, Elevates Food, and Builds Community: Lessons Learned From Round Rock ISD

Why Aramark Student Nutrition Dining Services

The High Cost Of A Low Bid

Ripon Area School District: Renewing Students’ Interest In The School Nutrition Program

Insights to Innovation

Lubbock ISD Local Chef Community Council

Powering Potential With Fresh, Hydroponic Produce

Introducing Dailypay

Empowering People and Businesses Through Supplier Diversity

Transitioning to No-Cost Meal Programs

Best Practices For Managing K-12 Central Kitchens: Lessons Learned From Round Rock ISD

How to Create a Self-Sustaining K-12 Dining Program

Are These 3 Outsourcing Misconceptions Limiting Your District Meal Program?

Latest Stories

Aramark Student Nutrition Announces Nationwide Update to School Menus for 2026–2027

Aramark Student Nutrition and Willingboro Township Public Schools Partner to Offer Essential Job Skills for Students

How Aramark Student Nutrition’s Virtual Cooking Initiative Became a Trenton Public School District Community Staple

Aramark Brings Culinary Career Pathing to the Classroom at Chicago Public Schools

Mark This! Episode 42: Nourishing Students

High School Culinary Students Take on the Heat in Aramark Student Nutrition’s Annual Culinary Star Competition

Aramark Student Nutrition at Pawtucket Schools Spotlight Creativity with “Student Chef of the Month” Program