School foodservice operator Chartwells K12 is rolling out Power Up, a performance nutrition program built specifically for middle and high school students, connecting everyday cafeteria meals with concepts like energy management, hydration, post-activity recovery, and sustained focus throughout the school day.
The program arrives as K–12 foodservice operators face growing pressure to make school meals relevant to older students who increasingly control their own food decisions. Chartwells K12, which operates dining programs in more than 5,000 schools with a workforce exceeding 19,000 associates, developed Power Up using generational research into how today's Gen Z and Gen Alpha students approach food — with a notable tilt toward protein-packed, macro-aware choices.
The Program in Practice
Power Up centers on chef- and dietitian-informed recipes that reframe familiar ingredients in performance terms. Menu items such as a Sunberry Smoothie, Banana Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats, Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowl, and Potato Poppers are designed to illustrate how whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy work together to fuel both body and brain. Beyond the lunch line, the program deploys pop-up tasting stations where students can sample recipes, pick up practical nutrition tips, and take home adaptable ideas tied to themes like pre-activity fueling, eating well on the go, and post-workout recovery.
"We believe school meals are one of the most powerful tools we have to support student success," said Amy Shaffer, CEO of Chartwells K12. "Power Up takes a food-first approach by starting with delicious, student-friendly meals and using them as a launchpad for real-world nutrition education."
Lindsey Palmer, MS, RDN, Vice President of Nutrition & Industry Relations at Chartwells K12, emphasized that the program deliberately avoids a restrictive framing. "Nutrition isn't about restriction or rules," Palmer said. "It's about fueling their bodies with a variety of foods that support energy, strength, focus, and overall well-being."
Building a Broader Dining Ecosystem
Power Up is the latest addition to a growing suite of student engagement platforms Chartwells K12 has assembled for different age groups and interests. It joins Nutrition: Game On, an interactive nutrition program for elementary students, and Global Eats, which introduces globally inspired flavors and cuisines across grade levels. The operator has also layered in restaurant-style limited-time offerings such as Pizza Daze to drive cafeteria participation and meal satisfaction scores — a metric that directly affects contract retention in the competitive managed foodservice segment.
For foodservice directors and district administrators evaluating managed dining partners, the Power Up rollout signals a broader industry shift: contract operators are increasingly investing in branded, curriculum-adjacent programming to differentiate their offerings beyond commodity meal compliance. As our restaurant technology coverage and beverage industry analysis have both tracked, operators across segments are leaning into experiential programming to build loyalty with younger consumers — and K–12 dining is no exception.
The program also reflects the influence that student wellness trends are exerting on institutional foodservice purchasing and menu development. As performance nutrition moves from specialty retail into mainstream settings, school cafeterias managed by large contract operators like Chartwells K12 are emerging as a significant channel for reaching adolescents with functional food concepts at scale.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
