How To Design for a Speed-Scratch Menu

The K-12 food service sector is entering a period of transformation. These days, both students and parents alike expect more from their school food service programs when it comes to both nutrition and variety. In response, many operators are looking to speed-scratch cooking.

Speed-scratch cooking blends ingredients that are partially prepared or minimally processed with on-site finishing techniques. This cooking approach helps operators serve fresh, high-quality meals in the most efficient manner possible. It also goes a long way to reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods and in turn, helps cut down on added sugar and sodium.

Potential change in public policy is another reason why speed-scratch cooking is top of mind for K-12 operators. At the 2026 School Nutrition Association’s School Nutrition Industry Conference in January, leaders in K-12 food service discussed the recent release of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Because the USDA updates School Nutrition Standards based on these guidelines, K-12 operators are anticipating potential changes coming down the pike when it comes to limiting processed foods as well as added sugar and sodium.

Foodservice Design Professionals—a design firm primarily based in Houston and Dallas with remote locations in Oklahoma City, Tucson and San Antonio—has helped operators who previously relied on heat-and-serve products to reimagine their kitchens to support more speed-scratch cooking.

Because speed-scratch cooking requires more individual ingredients, FDP has worked with operators to expand their cold storage. Additional freezer and cooler space opens up the opportunity to order versatile speed-scratch all-stars such as pre-sliced veggie blends that can go in soups and stews or top pizzas or fajitas, or unseasoned grain mixes to use as entree sides or in breakfast parfaits or savory protein bowls.

Adding combi ovens to use for batch cooking also enables operators to prep items that can be used in multiple menu items or meal periods. For example, batch-cooked pulled pork can top nachos in a Tex-Mex bar or be dressed up with premade barbecue sauce for pulled pork sandwiches. By adding induction cooktops, operators can quickly heat premade pasta sauces and do more saute work. FDP also has reconfigured prep spaces to give kitchen staff more room to season proteins in-house, which is a great way to reduce overall sodium.

Designing for speed-scratch cooking is not without its challenges. Many K-12 operators are limited when it comes to the overall footprint of their kitchen facilities. FDP works creatively to reimagine layouts, rejigger equipment positioning and carve out space for compact equipment that makes the most of what space is available.

Many operators also are contending with the double whammy of aging kitchens built decades ago and limited funds to revamp all at once. In these cases, FDP can suggest incremental upgrades to help make changes in phases as funding becomes available.

Above all, speed-scratch cooking can be a practical, attainable bridge for operators to shift away from more institutional heat-and-serve models toward more chef-driven school dining. When renovations are in the rear view, operators have shared that their staff’s morale has soared, with employees feeling more engaged in the process of “real cooking” rather than just reheating.