From July 8th to 13th over 7,000 school nutrition professionals from all over the nation met in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Convention Center. As a first timer attending this conference I was so impressed with how big of a production it was! Oprah’s bestie, Gayle King was the opening keynote speaker and Food Network’s Chef Jason Henderson closed the event on Thursday. I walked the showroom with over 300 vendors and had the opportunity to taste new menu items like pumpkin seed butter, walking tacos and whole wheat steamed bao buns - a Chinese staple made whole grain. They even had an entire aisle dedicated to plant-based foods which, as you’ll see next, is a big up and coming food trend.
I attended sessions on managing food allergies, marketing in a low free/reduced district, and a brainstorming session
on how young professionals can become more involved through SNA’s NextGen Task Force. One of my favorite things about attending these food shows is checking out what is new and trending in the food world and how we can apply these trends to school foodservice operations. Chef Sharon Schaefer’s session, ‘Get Your Game On!’ hit this need of mine out of the park. She even created a video highlighting the top 10 Trends on School Menus, to share for all you struggling with ANC induced F.O.M.O. (Fear of Missing Out). Check out the video below and tell us what trends your schools are implementing.
Top Trends on School Menus