Food Ascension Course

Table of Contents 

• Share Tables Guidelines and Resources 
• Allergy Guide for Schools 
• Food Waste Reduction Guide for Schools 
• School Cafeteria Technology Guide 
• Offer vs. Serve Tip Sheet 
• Free Lunchroom Management Kit 
• Stats and Data 
• See How RevTrak Streamlines All Payments (in under 7 minutes)

Share Tables

As you move through this course, keep this United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) resource at your side. It covers everything from why share tables matter to how to set them up safely, and staying in line with child nutrition program rules, making it the perfect learning companion. 

Access the materials here. 

Allergy Guide for Schools

This guide will be your go-to resource for food allergy management as part of this key section of the course. It covers important topics like policy crafting and field trip safety, and includes free tools so you can immediately apply what you learn to keep students safe. 

Access the materials here. 

Food Waste Reduction Guide for Schools

This tool gives you a full toolkit: from auditing food waste and designing better menus, to setting up share tables, composting programs and engaging students every step of the way. You’ll find proven tactics, metrics for measurement and scalable ideas your school can implement now to save money, reduce environmental impact and improve student satisfaction. 

Access the materials here. 

School Cafeteria Technology Guide

Managing today’s cafeteria means juggling long lines, meal debt, compliance and parent expectations. This resource shows how the right technology stack can simplify it all. Inside you’ll find strategies to speed up service, capture reimbursable meals accurately, empower families with easy payments and connect your POS to your SIS for seamless reporting. 

Access the materials here. 

Offer vs. Serve Tip Sheet

This USDA tip sheet gives school food service professionals a clear overview of the Offer vs. Serve (OVS) lunch policy – what it is, how to implement it correctly at lunch and critical compliance requirements. It’s an essential tool for training staff, as well as state and regional offices, with straightforward guidance to reduce plate waste and make sure reimbursable meals count. 

Access the materials here. 

Free Lunchroom Management Kit

The School Lunch Improvement Kit gives you a complete toolkit to streamline your lunch program. It’s packed with editable inventories, menus, food safety checklists, surveys, posters and 30 expert ideas proven in 13,000 schools. This comprehensive resource is designed to save hours of admin work, improve participation and make lunch service run smoothly. 

Access the materials here. 

Stats and Data

• The CDC recommends at least 20 minutes of seated time to eat, not including waiting in line.  - CDC 
• Trial of a 10-minute seat time meal versus a 20-minute seat time meal. - JAMA 
• When schools held recess before lunch, produce consumption jumped 54 percent and 45 percent more children ate at least one serving. - Preventative Medicine Study 
• Schools waste about 39 pounds of edible food per student each year. Collectively, that’s over 530,000 tons of food annually, which could feed kids for one full school week. - WWF 
• Installing cafeteria water jets was associated with a 0.9-percent drop in overweight boys and 0.6-percent drop for girls, plus 12.3 fewer milk half-pints per student per year in New York City schools. - Syracuse University Study. 
• Food allergies affect 1 in 13 U.S. children (~8 percent). - CDC 
• A 2025 natural experiment across Mid‑Atlantic elementaries found salad bars increased fruit selection by ~0.44 cups and intake by ~0.36 cups per student vs. controls. 
• 71.6 percent of programs reported at least one staff vacancy, with an overall vacancy rate of 8.7 percent.  - School Nutrition Association 
• 96.8 percent of districts report challenges with unpaid meal charges and the median unpaid meal debt continues to rise.  - School Nutrition Association 
• About 60 percent of NSLP-participating schools operated some form of universal free meals, whether through state funding or federal provisions.  - U.S. Congressional Research Service 
• Research shows universal meals are linked to lower food insufficiency among families, meaning kids are more food secure and schools cut down on both debt and administrative burden. - USDA 
• Schools that let students pour the amount they want report 76 percent LESS milk waste versus single-serve cartons. - DOI 
• The World Wildlife Fund estimates up to 45 million gallons of milk wasted yearly in schools, which is a $1.7B problem.  - World Wildlife Fund