School nutrition officials from across the country gathered in Charlotte this week to share ideas and explore new products as they prepare for potential changes to federal school meal standards.
The conference, organized by the School Nutrition Association, brought thousands of school nutrition professionals to the Charlotte Convention Center. Vendors offered samples of foods ranging from pizza to cheesy grits and showcased equipment designed for school cafeterias.
“We’re just seeing all these ideas that our students have been telling us about, and we are getting to put our eyes on it,” said Lauren Weyand, school nutrition director for Craven County Schools and a member of the School Nutrition Association’s legislative committee.
Weyand said the conference comes at a critical time, as schools await updated nutrition standards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The changes are expected to continue the Trump administration’s push for less processed food, reduced sugar and increased protein in school meals.
“We are looking to see: How have these manufacturers reformulated some of those items? Are they lower in sugar? Will they meet the standards?” Weyand said.
Funding concerns
Stephanie Dillard, president of the School Nutrition Association, said the group expects new requirements for increased protein at breakfast. Discussions also continue around requiring more cooking from scratch in schools.
Both changes would require additional resources, she said. Protein is often the most expensive component of a school meal, and scratch cooking requires more labor.
“If you’re going to add it, you have to give us the money,” Dillard said.
Schools are also continuing to implement nutrition changes adopted during the Biden administration, requiring adjustments from vendors, suppliers and manufacturers.
Adapting to change
Tommy Wheeler, founder and CEO of Tidewater Grain, said changing nutrition standards force both schools and suppliers to constantly adapt.
His company began supplying products to schools after Weyand sought a local source of whole grains for Craven County Schools. Wheeler compared school nutrition policy shifts to “squeezing a balloon.”
“The challenge for us as a business, and for Lauren, is to figure out where that bulge is now going to take place,” Wheeler said. “If we need more whole grain – OK, how do we pivot?”
Weyand said strong relationships with local suppliers can help districts respond to changing requirements. She pointed to her partnership with Tidewater Grain during the pandemic, when national supply chains were disrupted.
Still, Weyand worries schools could be asked to make too many changes too quickly.
She said school meals already emphasize whole grains, vegetables and proteins, and she expressed concern about proposals that could require more scratch cooking. Such changes would require updated equipment, additional staff and expanded cleaning procedures.
As an example, Weyand said her district hosts an annual Farm to School week, during which meals are prepared using locally sourced ingredients and made from scratch.
“One of my employees says, ‘Oh, this is the week from hell,’” Weyand said.
Labor challenges
Ashley Lovetere, menu specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, said her district can adapt to changing requirements, but acknowledged that large-scale scratch cooking presents challenges.
“Scratch cooking at high volume is very difficult,” Lovetere said. “We can do it with certain items, absolutely. Some districts are able to do it – some of the smaller ones. Some of the largest ones, we kind of struggle with labor and everything.”
Back on the convention floor, companies highlighted equipment designed to reduce labor and food waste.
Robert Webb, CEO of Udderly Cold Milk Solutions, demonstrated a machine that automatically dispenses the federally reimbursable 8-ounce serving of milk with the push of a button.
Weyand said tools like that could help schools save time and reduce waste.
“If only USDA can give us some money to purchase some of those, wouldn’t that be nice?” she said.
But without more funding, getting it in all 23 of her schools might have to wait.
