Top 10 K-12 school food service stories of 2021

Supply chain headaches with both food and nonfood items, staffing shortages and more have marked 2021 as one tough cookie for K-12 operators, chefs and kitchen crews. This is one tough bunch, though, and through perseverance and a die-hard dedication to feeding kids, school food professionals have withstood the pressure and focused on the task at hand.

We take a look back at the big stories that shaped this year for these dedicated teams, from serving in different situations to kicking summer meals into high gear, getting serious about local produce, getting creative when shortages loom and renewing the commitment to sustainability.

One constant with school food has been the kids—this segment needs fun, excitement and attention to detail when it comes to cultural diversity. Not to mention good nutrition and the fuel to get through the school day. School food pros have delivered, big time, as evidenced by big wins in this year’s Best Sandwich contest.