Thousands of school nutrition professionals traveled to Denver this week to check out the latest K-12 menu trends at the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) 2023 Annual National Conference.
The exhibit hall featured products from over 300 vendors. To get students’ take on which products struck a chord, SNA invited six students from nearby Littleton Public Schools to walk the floor and later share their thoughts in a panel discussion led by the school district’s nutrition director, Jessica Gould.
Here are three trends spotted on the show floor and what the students had to say about each.
Grab-and-go keeps growing
Grab-and-go options, especially those for breakfast, continue to be popular in the K-12 segment.
Kellogg’s, for example, showcased handheld, individually wrapped Fruit Loops waffles designed to be eaten on the run or in the classroom, and portable options intended for other mealtimes were evident throughout the event.
The grab-and-go trend was also met positively by the students on the panel. One of their favorite things they tried was a walking taco, a taco that’s made and served in a small bag of chips. The high schoolers, in particular, mentioned how the menu item would work well for their typical schedule.
Kellogg's sampled an individually wrapped Fruit Loops waffle.
“It'd be great for high schoolers because you can take it to class, and with our shorter lunch breaks, it can be kind of difficult, so I think that would be a perfect item to add to the menu,” said senior Madeline Dean.
Plant-based proliferation
Plant-based options for K-12 continue to expand, with seaweed snack bars, plant-based burger patties and more making appearances on the show floor. While none of the student panelists said they strictly follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet, many of them shared that they wished there were more meat-free options at school.
“I think you would always want a good option for vegetarians because you always see those people who are like, ‘I'm sorry, I can't eat lunch because I don’t like sunbutter and jelly, and there's not very many other options,’” said 6th-grader Kate.
One plant-based item that received rave reviews from the panelists was a plant-based chicken nugget by Rebellyous Foods. A majority of the students said they actually preferred them to the traditional meat version.
Restaurant replication
At the high school level, Littleton students have the option to leave campus during the day. Dean mentioned that she and her peers often choose between grabbing food in the cafeteria or at a local restaurant, adding that nutrition programs could possibly attract more students by replicating some of the food trends seen outside of school.
A matcha tea smoothie was one of the drink options at the General Mills booth.
Conference attendees could find several products intended to mimic those found in restaurants and on grocery store shelves. At the General Mills booth, for example, attendees could try a matcha tea smoothie as well as a Starbucks-inspired “pink drink” smoothie.