Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Culinary Basics

The School Nutrition Programs Culinary Basics online training.

Course Description

Learn about the importance of portion control in food preparation and meal service and the benefits of using proper equipment and utensils to measure and control portions. Participants will also be able to compare weight versus volume measurements, and access references and resources to accurately prepare standardized recipes, and control portions for school food service.

  • Course Number: 130
  • Training Length: 45 minutes
  • Certificate: Available at the end of the training
  • Target Audience: Food Service Director and Staff
  • Mandatory: No
  • Cost: Free
  • Date Recorded: August 2017

Online Course

Begin the Culinary Basics External link opens in new window or tab. course.

Referenced Resources

The following resources are referred to throughout this online course:

Crediting

  • Crediting: 0.75 hour
  • Key Area: Operations (2000)
    • Training Topic: Food Production (2100)
      • Learning Objective: Culinary Skills (2130)

For more information on crediting, access the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) web document Professional Standards Learning Objectives External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF).

Additional Information

  • USDA Food Buying Guide External link opens in new window or tab. (FBG) assists with buying the right amount of food and the appropriate type of food and determine the specific contribution each food makes toward the meal pattern requirements.

  • USDA FBG Interactive Web Based Tool External link opens in new window or tab. includes the FBG Calculator which is used to determine quantities to purchase and prepare recipes.

  • Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) Basic Culinary Math teaches basic culinary math skills. Search for ‘Basic Culinary Math’ on the ICN iLearn web page External link opens in new window or tab.. Registration is required for these online classes.

Contact Us

If you have technical difficulties or questions regarding the course content, contact SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Related Content
Recently Posted in Nutrition

  • SNP AR 25-26 Workload (added 23-Jun-2025)
    School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors who are scheduled for an Administrative Review in School Year 2025-26.
  • Culinary Training: Date Extended to July 3, 2025 (added 20-Jun-2025)
    Space is available for Culinary Trainings! The Nutrition Services Division, in collaboration with the Institute of Child Nutrition, is hosting free, in-person, half-day, Mediterranean Menus of Flavor culinary arts trainings for school food service.
  • Webinar: Tuesdays @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall (added 20-Jun-2025)
    School Nutrition Town Hall webinar for School Nutrition Program Operators and Food Service Directors.
  • Paid Lunch Equity Guidance for School Year 2025–26 (added 19-Jun-2025)
    This communication provides information to School Food Authorities (SFA) on the updated guidance on Paid Lunch Equity for school year 2025-26.
  • April 22, 2025 Tuesday at 2 Town Hall Resources (added 19-Jun-2025)
    The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) hosted the monthly Tuesday @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall (NSD) webinar April 22, 2025.