SNA survey shows increases in taste tests, prelunch recess

The nation’s school nutrition professionals are taking the job of growing the appeal and acceptance of healthy school meals very seriously and are willing to embrace a wide range of sometimes out-of-the-box tactics to do so. That’s what the most recent School Nutrition Association (SNA) national survey of its membership shows.

Among tactics gaining wide implementation are student taste tests and sampling programs (74.5 percent say they’ve implemented), salad/produce bars (67.6 perce3nt implementation) and nutrition education (57.4 percent implemented and another 18.3 percent planning or considering it). Even recess before lunch is now in place at nearly half (48 percent) of the responding districts.

Other survey findings show the mainstreaming of the use of locally grown foods in school meals, with nearly six in 10 (59.9 percent) saying they offer locally sourced fruits and vegetables, more than half (52.2 percent) including preferences for local or regional sourcing of foods in solicitations or purchase specifications, 47.8 percent having implemented farm-to-school initiatives and 34.2 percent utilizing school gardens to promote healthier food choices.

Reducing the amount of food students throw away seems to be another growth trend as 64.1 percent of districts encourage students to share unwanted and unopened food items with their peers through cafeteria share tables, while 18.3 percent collect uneaten food to donate to charitable organizations and 18.1 percent compost food waste.

The survey also shows significant increases in the use of innovative service models to make healthy school breakfasts more convenient for students, with 54.1 percent of districts (up from 46.5 percent in 2016) offering alternate breakfast service venues in addition to the traditional cafeteria line. Such alternatives include delivering breakfast directly to the classroom in some schools (43.9 percent say they do); setting up grab-and-go kiosks outside of the cafeteria in middle and high schools, now available in 61.8 percent of districts (up from 56.2 percent in 2016); a growth in serving breakfast during the first 10 to 15 minutes of the school day, something 40.4 percent of districts offering breakfast now do (up from 33.2 percent in 2016); and offering “second chance breakfast” (33.9 percent, up from 26.8 percent in 2016).

Schools are also offering more options for students with special dietary needs and working with parents to address student food allergies, with 49 percent of districts now offering gluten-free food options (up from 44.5 percent in 2016); 39.5 percent offering lactose-free milk (up from 34.1 percent); 45.5 percent offering online access to nutrition and allergen information; and 17.7 percent reporting that certain foods—peanuts lead the list, followed by tree nuts—have been banned districtwide due to allergies, with another 20.3 percent banning them only in some of their schools.

Among the biggest challenges facing school nutrition professionals, according to SNA survey results, is widespread unpaid meal debt. A full three-quarters (75.3 percent) of districts report having unpaid student meal debt at the end of the 2016-2017 school year, with 40.2 percent saying that the number of students without adequate funds increased last school year.

Among prevalent tactics used to prevent or minimize debt are online payment/monitoring of account balances (94.2 percent), using school staff to notify parents directly about low balances or meal charges (85.7 percent), offering assistance to families completing free and reduced-price applications (82.6 percent), using automated phone calls/texts/emails for low balance notifications (77.9 percent) and providing financial assistance through donations (56.4 percent).

Other notable trends tracked in the report include district demographics, school meal prices, lunch periods, after-school and summer meals, procurement practices, equipment and technology. The State of School Nutrition 2018 survey was conducted in May and June 2018, with the report based on the analysis of 1,550 responses received from SNA members representing districts nationwide. 

The report ($59 for SNA members, $299 for SNA industry members and $499 for non-members) or an executive summary (free to SNA members) can be secured at the SNA Bookstore.