Updated as of 10/2021
Cycle menus are a series of menus planned for a particular period of time, such as 4 weeks. The menu varies for each day of the cycle. Having cycle menus is a best practice for operators as they:
- Save time in planning HHFKA compliant menus
- Enable pre-costing of menus
- Improve forecasting accuracy of weekly food orders
- Streamline inventory control
- Stabilize employee work schedules
- Simplify recognition of a “reimbursable meal” at POS
- Permit tracking key metrics to create a set of “Successful Menu Combinations”
Best practices for cycle menus are:
- Shorter cycles - 2 to 5 weeks
- Offer more daily choices to appeal to student preferences and achieve dietary specification requirements
- Repeat popular food items during the cycle – i.e., pizza on Friday
- Cycle length may vary between grade groups and be different for breakfast and lunch