Food for thought: New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s latest conference gives insight as to what could be on future school lunch menus

While it’s still only the middle of the school year, school nutrition professionals are already well into planning their menus for next school year. 

To help them figure out what dishes they should feature come fall, The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) recently hosted its United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods Conference at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, New Jersey which featured 45 vendors showcasing foods that are National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program-approved.

In attendance were school nutrition directors, business administrators, superintendents and over 50 high school students from around the state who sampled the different foods and gave their take on what they would like to see on menus next year. 

“I loved really going around and seeing what we could make a change for in our different cafeterias,” said Noella Oldham, a senior at Lower Cape May Regional High School, in a statement. “A lot of it was really good. I wasn’t expecting so much flavor from everything."

In an interview with WPIX Channel 11, one student shared that one his favorite bites was the pulled the pork sandwiches. Walking tacos were also a fan favorite, according to the NJDA. 

After sampling the different foods, students took a survey where they listed their top three favorite items and their three least favorite items that they tried. 

“The feedback we receive from this kind of conference allows us to better plan ahead for next year and the future in general so we can satisfy the needs of the districts and their students as well as the USDA school meal requirements,” said Keith Leder, the President of the New Jersey School Nutrition Association and Region Lead at Maschio’s Food Service. “Our top priority is to have nutritious and great tasting food options from which to choose.”

Alongside sampling the new food items, attendees could also participate in training sessions from NJDA Food and Nutrition Division staff, that touched on topics including, Farm to School, Food Distribution, the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Child Nutrition. 

Events such as these will help school nutrition operators as they navigate the USDA’s updated School Nutrition Standards for the first time next year.

Beginning in the fall, school nutrition operators will have to adhere to new added sugar restrictions that will put product-based added sugar restrictions on grain-based desserts, breakfast cereals, yogurts and flavored milk. In addition, they will also have limits on the amount of non-domestic grown and produced foods they can purchase.

“This conference allows us to learn more about the entire process, and to be able to give and receive feedback first-hand is invaluable,” said Cindy Sue Schaller, the Food Service Director for the Monroe Township School District, in a statement. “The interactions we have here allow us to create conversations that might not normally happen. We want to make the absolute best choices for our students.”