About Us

You know that feeling, where nothing is going right? You have staff callouts, milk is late, an oven breaks down and it’s not even 7 am yet!

Well, we do. 

We’ve been in your shoes and it’s not easy. There is a reason, there is a dedicated day for school lunch heroes. 

We’re Christine and Mary, two “lunch ladies” who lived it and lived to tell about it. Our experience has been vast and diverse. Having worked in school districts, large and small, and state agencies, we’ve seen it all. 

After many convos about the struggles, challenges, and disruptors in our jobs, the common theme, no matter, the job, was that our “superheroes” needed more solutions to make the job easier. 

Through experience, experimentation, and many tears, we discovered techniques, methods, and best practices that worked! 

So now, we are long-term colleagues turned friends, turned business partners that want to share this knowledge with you! 

We believe that the passion for these programs is what has kept us and many people in this industry. Professionals, who want to provide students with the most nutritious and delicious foods while developing a community of ‘superheroes’ who battle against all challenges and never miss a beat.

Professional Credentials

Mary Gomez-Kokkinos, SNS, CTCM

Co-Founder

Bachelor of Science in Institutional Administration and Dietetics, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas (Graduated Cum Laude)
Assistant Director of School Nutrition, Texas Department Of Agriculture
Food Service Director, Round Rock Independent School District/Aramark
Director of Operations, Houston Independent School District/Aramark
Quality Assurance Director, Eanes Independent School District
Certified Texas Contract Manager
School Nutrition Specialist
Completed FoCuSeD Facilitation Training, MGR Consulting
Serve Safe Food Handler Certified

 Christine Bendana, SNS

Co-Founder

Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, University of Texas Austin, Texas
Certificate of Culinary Arts, Texas Culinary Academy Le Cordon Bleu Program
Health and Wellness: Designing a Sustainable Nutrition Plan, Harvard Medical School Executive Education
Assistant Director of Community Operations, Texas Department of Agriculture
Director of Operations, Round Rock Independent School District/Aramark
Assistant Food Service Director, Pflugerville Independent School District/Aramark
Food Service Director, Rockdale Independent School District/Aramark
Assistant Food Service Director, Lockhart Independent School District/Aramark
Food and Nutrition Department Supervisor, Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center
School Nutrition Specialist
Serve Save Food Handler Certified

Our Mission & Values

Child Nutrition Solutions’ mission is to serve child nutrition professionals to create excellence and efficiency in their child nutrition program, valuing the following:

Child Nutrition Advocacy and Expertise

Championing the importance of child nutrition with deep subject matter knowledge.

Integrity

Serving to protect the Integrity of Child Nutrition Programs and upholding the highest standards of honesty and ethical behavior in all our services.

Collaboration

Working closely with school districts to develop effective and sustainable nutrition programs.

Automation/Innovation

Leveraging technology to streamline and enhance the efficiency of nutrition program operations. We are committed to continuous innovation and staying ahead of industry trends, ensuring that our solutions are cutting-edge and forward-thinking.