Attendees share best practices for schools’ meal program

Dietitians and school-district representatives from around the U.S. attended the 69th Annual National Conference of the School Nutrition Association in Salt Lake City, Utah. HISD Dietitian Amanda Oceguera, along with several Nutrition Services employees, represented the district. The conference covered many aspects of school food services, from vendors to school menus to meal recipes.

Oceguera spent hours sharing and learning with her colleagues about procurement, professional standards, and legislative updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We had roundtable discussions with other professionals about best practices for developing, completing and implementing new smart snack regulations and menus,” Oceguera said. “We are always looking for fun and innovative products that can be added to our bidding process, and this is the place where we can find items not seen before.”

Oceguera was also part of an advisory council that helps national food retailers produce a cleaner label. “We gave feedback regarding what Nutrition Services would like to see in its products,” she said.

This annual national conference is the high point of the School Nutrition Association. Ideas and information shared with conference attendees influences the direction in which a school meal program goes.