By: Jada Linton, RDN, LD
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.
To view and download the full 2019 School Nutrition Trends Report, click here.
Check out these delicious school recipes, your students will love!
Here are the four trends from this year’s report that we’re especially excited about:
- International Flavors
Spice up your menus with Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern food options! According to about half of the schools, they will add these food flares to their dining operations this year. Peanut sauce is a great way to add flavor to foods.
- Customizable Menu Options
Students love to choose their own meals! Peanuts are a great choice for plant-forward food options, as a salad dressing or topping. The school trends report tells us that 69.6% of school operators will include salad/produce bars or made-to-order salads in their menus!
- Cleaner Label Options
About half of the schools offered products or ingredients with no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives. The idea of adding more whole foods like peanuts and peanut butter to school menus and having cleaner labels will appeal to the students.
- Whole Grain Rich Usage
The trends report showed that schools stated that 75% of their grains will be whole.USDA MyPlate recommends that half the grains we eat should be whole. The classic PB&J on whole-grain bread or tortilla is an easy and delicious way to up whole grain consumption.
Peanuts are a delicious choice for school meals and snacks! With these four new trends, we can spice up the flavors used in school meals and give students the option to make customizable changes to their favorite foods! If you are interested in how peanuts can fit into your school, click here.
Learn How School Nutrition Experts Serve Peanuts and Peanut Butter here.
Learn how to put your best plant-forward with peanuts here.
To learn more about how schools help kids beat hunger click here.