ANC23 – TrayTalk.org

Students Help Pick New Menu Items

Thanks to the special efforts of their classmates this summer, Littleton Public Schools students in CO will see some new breakfast and lunch items on their menus. During summer break, six Littleton students had an exclusive opportunity to join their school nutrition department at the nation’s largest K-12 food and exhibit show, School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference, with the mission to assist in taste-testing potential new menu items.

School Menu Trends to Watch

Before the school bell rings in the new year, school nutrition professionals gathered in Denver for the nation’s largest school food show to stay on top of what’s trending for menus. Plant-based options, spicy flavors and global dishes topped new offerings with grab-and-go breakfasts and customizable lunches still popular. In addition to food trends, school meal program operators discussed new and different ways to encourage students to choose school meals, a consistent source of nutritious, balanced options. School meals are provided free for all students in some states – Maine, Minnesota, Michigan, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Vermont.