Zee Zees

Every year, Grab the Tab reminds us of something simple: the people making the biggest difference for kids are already in the building. This year's winning schools have been quietly carrying the weight of student meal debt, and we were lucky enough to show up, celebrate with them, and help lift some of that burden.

In this year's recap, you'll hear from some of them directly. Staff at these schools share what meal debt really means, for the kids who feel it, the families working to keep up, and the teams and communities determined that no student goes without. Their words say it better than we ever could.

To our ten winning schools: congratulations and thank you for the work you do day in and day out.

And to the hundreds of schools that applied this year, thank you for advocating so fiercely for your students. Reading your applications is humbling every single time, and we encourage you to apply again when applications open in the spring.

We're proud of this year, and honest that we've only scratched the surface. Someday, we hope no kid has to know what meal debt even feels like. Until then, we keep going, right alongside the people who show up for kids every day.

Watch our 2026 recap here and find the link for the full version in the comments.

There's a lot going on behind the tray that most of us never see.

Before the first student walks through the line, school foodservice teams are already deep into the day. Compliance and training. Food procurement. Menu planning. Prep. And then the non-stop rhythm of mealtime itself, all of it handled while keeping students at the heart of every decision.

As you'll hear in the video, "There's just a lot more to it than anyone would ever realize."

Today, on National Food Service Worker Day, we want to slow down and recognize that work. The early mornings, the countless small details, the care that goes into every single meal. We see you, and we're grateful, today and every day.

Take a few minutes to watch our Behind the Tray series and meet some of the people who make school meals happen. Know someone who works magic in a school kitchen? Tag them below and tell them thank you.

It's National Meat Stick Day, and after cheering from the sidelines for years, we're finally in the game. 🎉

We're proud to introduce our NEW Chicken Meat Sticks in Maple, BBQ Seasoned, and Smokehouse Original. Each one is naturally smoked with 5-6g of protein and just 40 calories, and they're free from the Top 9 allergens so more kids at your tables get to enjoy them.

We made these for school cafeterias, and word on the lunch line is they don't last long. Turns out kids have great taste. 💛

The leaves are turning, the mornings have that crisp little chill, and the first day of fall is officially here. And in our humble opinion, there's no better way to celebrate than with our Caramel Diced Apple Cups.

Tender diced apples with a caramel twist, it's the taste of the season in an easy-to-serve cup. All the cozy of a caramel apple, none of the sticky fingers.

However you welcome fall, we hope it's crisp, colorful, and cozy.

Happy first day of fall from all of us at Zee Zees.

Happy National Coloring Day! 🖍️

There's something pretty wonderful about a kid, a blank page, and a big box of crayons. No rules, no pressure, just imagination pouring out one color at a time. A sky can be orange. Zed can be purple. Anything is possible.

That's exactly why we love this day. At Zee Zees, we believe in the power of creativity, and we believe every kid has more of it than they know. Coloring is one of the simplest, most joyful ways to let it out.

So here's your permission slip: print our Zeesources coloring pages, clear off the desks, and let the kids create. Outside the lines encouraged.

"These are not students to me. These are my kids."

School foodservice professionals work in some of the busiest kitchens in the country. Fewer hands than they need, tighter budgets than they deserve, and more trays than most people will ever count. And every single day, they show up anyway.

One told us serving students gave her a sense of purpose. Another said she stays because she loves the kids.

Because this work was never only about food. It's about giving kids a place to relax, unwind, refuel, and feel loved. A warm meal and a familiar face in the middle of a hard day.

Behind the Tray celebrates the people who fuel our kids, body and heart. Episode 1 is here.

Tag someone in your building who shows up like this every day. We see you, and we thank you.