Skip To Main Content

Nutritional Services Blog

A Bold Step Toward Healthier School Menus

A few years back, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Nutrition Services took some bold steps to promote healthier eating habits and improve the overall well-being of students. In partnership with parents, SUSD has been working to eliminate harmful additives and enhance the nutritional quality of school meals.

A Collaborative Approach for Better Nutrition
Salad Bar

The SUSD Nutrition Services Department has always adopted a collaborative approach by engaging with the community throughout the process of rethinking school meals. Our partnerships reflect the department’s commitment to creating a school environment where students have access to fresh, nutritious, and well-balanced meals.

Through the SUSD Nutrition Initiative, our department has worked closely with parents to gather feedback on student preferences, dietary needs, and concerns about food additives. Parents play a crucial role by providing input, advocating for healthier options, and supporting the transition to more wholesome meals.

Additionally, SUSD and a large majority of school nutrition professionals have partnered with food manufacturers to ensure the food provided in schools meets the demand for products free of artificial additives such as high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), monosodium glutamate (MSG), and other chemicals commonly found in processed foods. By fostering strong relationships with food suppliers, the district is ensuring that meals are not only tasty but also healthier, supporting students' long-term health.

SUSD Nutrition Services Menus – Fresh, Healthy, Balanced, and Student-Centric

At SUSD, we have removed the following ingredients from our menus:

  • MSG
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup
  • Artificial Food Dyes
  • BHT/BHA
  • TBHQ

Additionally, we have limited the following:

  • Fat-free chocolate milk now contains 10g of added sugar (down from 14g).
  • Fat-free chocolate milk is available at lunch only, and not at breakfast.
  • A la carte items are limited to 13g of added sugar or less.
  • Our menu is nearly nitrate/nitrite free.

Fun Facts & Expectations:

  • A wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables is offered daily.
  • All grains are whole grains.
  • We bake, never fry.
  • Reduced fat, sodium, and sugar are the standards for all meals.
  • Always look for smaller and cleaner ingredient decks.
  • Advocate for industry changes to meet our long-term and short-term goals.
  • Entrées include a variety of options, such as hot meal favorites, entrée salads, yogurt parfaits, acai bowls, bistro packs, freshly made sandwiches, and more.
  • We are developing and introducing Blue Zone-approved entrées and side items.
  • Student taste tests and menu committees help shape our offerings to ensure they meet student preferences.

Learn More at the Source

 

Cooking with the T-birds
Yavapai Parents & Students Cooking Class

In November, Nutrition Services teamed up with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension to host a Family Cooking Night at Yavapai Elementary School. We showcased the joys and benefits of cooking and dining together at home, as families crafted their own personal pizzas using fresh ingredients, tossed together a colorful salad, and mixed a homemade dressing that added the perfect finishing touch!

10,000 Meals Served:  A Heartwarming Celebration of Gratitude

The week before Thanksgiving, our school cafeterias went above and beyond to make sure every SUSD elementary and K-8 student had the opportunity to enjoy a delicious and festive holiday meal. In a display of community spirit, our cafeterias teamed with parent volunteers and SUSD staff to serve 10,000 Thanksgiving lunches to students across the district, creating memories and spreading joy!

Hats off to Team Awesome for this monumental effort. The cafeteria staff worked tirelessly in the days leading up to Nov. 21 to ensure every student received a hearty, traditional meal and our team knocked it out of the park this year.  

This enormous challenge is well worth the effort.  The students were excited, and so were we.  It was a true labor of love, as serving Thanksgiving lunch is more than just about food, but also about showing students they are valued, appreciated and cared for.

We are grateful for Team Awesome and all they do, not only on this special day, but every day!  Here's to many more shared meals ahead!

Learn More at the Source

Parents and Students at Yavapai Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming, but before we all enjoy a few extra days off with our families, Nutrition Services is excited to host our annual turkey dinner once again on the menu for our elementary and K-8 students and their families on Thursday, November 21! It’s such a busy, fun, exciting day that even our office staff is out in the schools helping serve meals. You can expect turkey and mashed potatoes, along with other traditional side dishes. Gobble, gobble, gobble!

Did you know that your family can apply for the free-and-reduced meal program at any time during the school year? Did you know that if you’ve already applied but didn’t qualify and your circumstances have changed, you can apply again? Did you know that if your child attends school at Coronado, Hohokam, Tonalea, or Yavapai, they can eat breakfast and lunch for free without even applying? All these things are true, so we encourage you to take advantage of these programs! 

Looking for something rewarding to do while your students are in school during the day? Come work with Team Awesome! We have full-time and part-time positions open in our kitchens AND our main office. Some of these positions’ hours vary, so the schedule that works for you may just be a great fit for our team. Go to susd.org/jobs and type Nutrition in the Search bar. 

Learn More at the Source

LNQ Connect

Applications for free and reduced meals must be submitted annually, even if approved the previous year.

  1. Visit linqconnect.com
  2. Click “Start Meal Application”
  3. Enter “Scottsdale Unified School District”
  4. Enter Household/Student Information & Review Letter
  5. Review and Submit

Hohokam Elementary • Yavapai Elementary • Tonalea Middle • Coronado High

Updates to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) portion of the federal National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs will allow for all students at the above four schools to select a breakfast and a lunch free of charge, each day of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Parents with students at these schools DO NOT have to fill out a free/reduced application form.

Negative Balances

Any negative balances accrued prior to May 24 must still be paid in full.

Refunds & Donations

All money on students’ LINQ account can be refunded or donated to negative lunch balances. To request a refund or donation, call 480-484-6234.

Recurring Payments

If you are subscribed to recurring payments, please cancel through your online LINQ account.

Instagram @SUSDNutrition
Facebook SUSD Nutrition
X @NutritionSUSD
Website: www.susd.org/NutritionServices
Phone 480-484-6234

It’s Time to Apply for Free and Reduced Meal Benefits!

Exciting News: Fresh Fruit & Veggie Bars Introduced in Our Elementary Schools!

We’re thrilled to announce the addition of fresh fruit and veggie bars to our elementary school cafeterias! 

What’s new?

Students will continue to have access to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day; however, the bars will be displayed in attractive pans that students can scoop from and serve themselves the items of their choice and the amount they wish to eat.  Most of the items will be in fresh bulk and no longer pre-packaged, adding to their appeal through fresh and vibrant colors, as well as being mindful of our environment. These bars are designed to encourage healthy eating habits by making nutritious options readily available.

Why It Matters: 

  • Boosts Nutrition: A colorful selection of fruits and veggies helps ensure students get essential vitamins and minerals.
  • Encourages Healthy Choices: Easy access to fresh produce makes it simpler for students to make healthy eating decisions.
  • Supports Academic Excellence: A well-balanced diet is key to keeping students focused and energized throughout the school day.
Encourage Your Child:
Veggie Bar Photo from school site

Talk to your child about the benefits of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Let’s work together to promote healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime!

*Please note there are a few elementary schools where we cannot yet implement these bars.  We are actively working on acquiring the equipment that is needed to make this option a reality at a handful of sites.

Meal Prices for 2024/25 School Year

Good news: Meal prices have not increased this year!  Nutrition Services has deliberately held off on increasing prices, even in the face of rising costs, to continue to support our community as we continue to navigate out of a pandemic.  We are happy to again be fortunate enough to support no price increase and pass that benefit on to our students and families.  See meal, entrée and à la carte pricing, below:

Combo Meal Prices

Breakfast Combo includes the choice of an entrée, fruit or 100% fruit juice, veggie and milk.

Breakfast

Price

Elementary Combo

$1.50

Middle School Combo

$1.75

High School Combo

$1.75

Adult & Student Second Meal 

$2.50

Reduced Price

No Charge 

Free Price

No Charge

 

Lunch Combo includes the choice of an entrée and unlimited fruits and veggies.  Additional side choices include 100% fruit juice, whole grain roll and milk.

Lunch

Price

Elementary Combo

$2.85

Middle School Combo

$3.10

High School Combo

$3.10

Adult & Student Second Meal

$4.50

Reduced Price

No Charge

Free Price

No Charge

A la Carte Entrées and Snacks

A la carte entrées and snacks are available for purchase by utilizing cash or money in a student’s account at the time of purchase.   Prices are as follows:

Breakfast Entree

 $1.50

Lunch Entrée         

 $3.75

A la carte snack pricing can be found on the Nutrislice online menu here.  Simply click on your school site, select “lunch” and then select the à la carte drop-down at the bottom of the menu page.  Please note that àla carte snack items have pricing displayed by each item at the school, as well.


Example of a Nutrislice à la carte, drop-down menu:

Example Menu Image - Please see Nutrislice Website for more info

Learn More at the Source

Search