Revised - SLT - Preparation for the Launch of the Summer Meals Study

OMB Control No: 0584-0606

Expiration Date: 03/31/2019

APPENDIX A-5. Menu Planning Survey

The Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting a study on summer meals programs. The main objectives of the Summer Meals Study are to describe the characteristics of programs and participants, to examine program operations, and to identify factors affecting participation in the program by sponsors, sites, and children. Your responses will be kept private, will be combined with those from other programs, and will not be reported separately. Your participation in this survey is very important and will help improve understanding of Summer Meal Programs.

We are asking you to complete this Menu Planning Survey because you were identified during recruitment as the person most familiar with the menu planning for the Summer Meals Program for the <SITE NAME>.

Taking part is voluntary but please know that the information you provide will be kept private and will be included with those of other survey participants. The law prohibits us from giving anyone any information that may identify you or your organization. Your answers to the survey questions, or your decision not to respond to the survey, will not affect any benefits or services your organization receives.

Your opinion matters to us. Thank you for completing this survey.

1. How does <SITE NAME> provide summer meals and/or snacks? (CHECK ONLY ONE.)

Prepare or cook on-site  GO TO QUESTION 2

Prepare or cook at a central kitchen

Purchase them from a private commercial vendor

Purchase them from a school food authority

Purchase them from a government vendor

Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

1a. Why? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

Children like these meals

Like the variety of foods

Like the quality of foods

Cost efficient

Availability of kitchen facilities and equipment

Availability of staff to prepare and serve meals

Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

1b. Who delivers the food to <SITE NAME> everyday?

Sponsor

Private vendor

Government vendor

<SITE NAME> staff, from off-site

Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

2. In serving summer meals to children, which of the following meal patterns does <SITE NAME> follow? (CHECK ONLY ONE.)

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)  GO TO QUESTION 2b

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)  GO TO QUESTION 2b

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)/School Breakfast Program (SBP)

2a. Why does <SITE NAME> use National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) meal pattern requirements during the summer? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

No need to re-train staff

School menus provide good variety

Do not want to plan new menus

Children like the school-year menus

Cost effective

Use same vendor as school year

They are required because <SITE NAME> is in the Seamless Summer Option

Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

2b. Does <SITE NAME> use cycle menus? A cycle menu is a menu that is different every day but repeats after a certain number of days or weeks.

Yes  What is the length of the cycle for the menu?

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

No

3. Which of the following factors are considered in planning menus for <SITE NAME>? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

Availability of kitchen facilities to prepare and/or store food

Preferences of children

Predominant age of children being served

Types of meals served (i.e., breakfast, lunch, supper, snacks)

Staff skills

Cost

Type of eating facilities available at <SITE NAME>

Local or cultural practices  Please list the local or cultural practices that influence menu
planning for <SITE NAME>.

Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

4. Which of the following menu planning tools and resources have you used to plan summer meals? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

USDA Team Nutrition materials

USDA MyPlate materials

USDA Healthy Meals Resource System

USDA Summer Meals Toolkit

USDA What’s Cooking?

USDA Recipe Bowl

Institute of Child Nutrition materials

Tools and resources developed by the State agency

Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

5. Are there other tools and resources you need to plan summer meals but do not have?

No

Yes (PLEASE SPECIFY):

6. Did you have any challenges in accessing or implementing meal planning tools and resources?

Yes

No  GO TO QUESTION 7

6a. What were these challenges? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

Do not know of any meal planning tools and resources

Do not have staff available to access or implement meal planning tools and resources

Do not have internet service to access online materials

Do not know how to obtain hard copies of materials

Not able to locate materials in the language we need

Materials are not written at appropriate level for what we need

Materials are not user-friendly

Other challenge(s) (PLEASE SPECIFY):

7. How often does <SITE NAME> use local foods? Local foods are those that are grown, produced and/or processed in the area. (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

Every day/almost every day

2 to 3 times per week

Once a week or less

Never  GO TO QUESTION 8

Don’t know/Not sure  GO TO QUESTION 8

7a. Did <SITE NAME> purchase any of the following foods from local growers, producers, processors, and/or manufacturers? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

Fruits

Vegetables

Fluid Milk

Other dairy

Meat/Poultry

Eggs

Seafood

Plant based protein items such as beans, seeds, nuts

Grains/flour

Bakery Products

Herbs

Other product type (PLEASE SPECIFY):

Did not purchase any local foods

8. How often do the meals and snacks include fresh fruits and vegetables? Fresh fruits and vegetables are generally in their original form or sliced or peeled to make it easy to eat. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not canned, frozen or dried. (CHECK ONLY ONE.)

Every day/almost every day

2 to 3 times per week

Once a week or less

Never

Don’t know/Not sure

9. How often does <SITE NAME> serve USDA Foods (sometimes known as ‘commodity foods’) in summer meals? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

Every day/Almost every day

2 to 3 times per week

Once a week or less

Never  GO TO QUESTION 10

USDA Foods are not available to <SITE NAME>  GO TO QUESTION 10

Don’t know/Not sure  GO TO QUESTION 10

9a. What types of USDA Foods are used to prepare summer meals? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.)

Fruits

Vegetables

Fluid Milk

Other dairy

Meat/Poultry

Eggs

Seafood

Plant based protein items such as beans, seeds, nuts

Grains/flour

Bakery Products

Herbs

Other product type (PLEASE SPECIFY):

Did not purchase any USDA foods

10. Following is a list of potential challenges that you may face in being able to plan and prepare healthy meals. Please indicate the extent to which each of the following factors is a challenge for <SITE NAME>. (CHECK ONE BOX PER ROW.)

	Significant challenge	Challenge	Somewhat of a challenge	Not a challenge	Not sure
Understanding meal pattern requirements
Availability of foods that meet the requirements
Food cost
Staff time
Equipment to prepare food
Equipment to transport food
Kitchen facilities
Other (PLEASE SPECIFY):

Thank you for participating in the Summer Meals Study

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx*). Do not return the completed form to this address.