School nutrition professionals across the country have been incredibly innovative and shown a commitment to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that children across the country continued to be fed, even when schools closed suddenly in the spring due to the pandemic.
In schools around the country, cafeterias work like well-oiled machines. They are often the largest foodservice operator in a community and serve hundreds or thousands of meals in just the span of a few hours every school day. Students stand in orderly lines and select their prepared meals, quickly entering and exiting the cafés newly nourished with the energy to learn.
But what about when school doors unexpectedly close and education goes 100% virtual? During the current pandemic, schools have had to rapidly adjust to help meet the needs of their students.
The School Nutrition trends report research has been published! School Nutrition Association’s 2019 School Nutrition Trends Report summarizes findings from a survey representing over 800 unique districts from all SNA regions in May and June, 2019. The School Nutrition Trends Report has been conducted by the School Nutrition Association every year since 1998! The research is used to highlight the most important “hot” trends that affect schools nationwide.
While partnering with our friends at Live From My Desk with Stefanie and Amanda to discuss back-to-school trends for peanuts in K-12 and new peanut recipes, we were captivated by chef Amanda’s enthusiasm for peanut butter. In this Q&A conducted by Sherry Coleman Collins, registered dietitian and @PeanutRD, Amanda shares why she’s peanut butter’s biggest fan and exciting ways that peanuts can be incorporated into school meals.
Kids love the great taste of peanut butter, and school nutrition professionals love the protein and other key nutrients of this American staple. Some schools, however, struggle with managing peanut products due to concerns about food allergies. Others are unsure of how to use peanut butter as an ingredient in meals beyond the typical PB&J. We sat down with two experts in K-12 school nutrition to get their insights on the importance of peanut butter in nutrition programs, advice on managing food allergies, and culinary tips to elevate school meals with peanut butter.