The Meals Plus Team Goes to #ANC17: “Starting Non-Traditional Feeding Programs”

The Meals Plus Team got the most out of #ANC17 in Hotlanta last month by venturing outside of the Exhibit Hall! We each attended an Education Session to learn how we can help keep your lunchlines moving. This gave us a new appreciation for everything child nutrition professionals do to feed our nation’s children.

Margaret Eubank, Account Manager for Meals Plus, attended the “Starting Non-Traditional Feeding Programs” Education Session and these were her favorite takeaways from the session:

  • Summer Feeding Bus.  Cincinnati Public Schools introduced a Summer Feeding Bus for their schools. They took an old school bus, gutted it, added a generator, and were able to serve meals from the bus. The bus worked as a fully functioning kitchen, allowing them to feed 450 kids in about 10 minutes. They were also able to serve during field days or field trips and not lose participation during those events.
  • Vending Machines. Breakfast vending machines are an easy-to-implement alternative feeding program.
  • Golf Carts. Another simple concept was creating golf cart service to serve after school snacks at different sports’ practices and events. Because of this, after school event participation has increased. Pizza parties and turkey trots are excellent additional opportunities for child nutrition to serve at.
  • Small Businesses. Bettie Wiggins, who is the Officer of Nutrition Services for Houston ISD, made a great statement during her presentation. She said, “Treat your department like a small business and not a non-profit. Make money people, increase your revenue, and protect your business base. That’s the ‘why’ behind non-traditional feeding programs.”

The presentation for this and all of the #ANC17 Education Sessions are available on the  School Nutrition Association’s website. Click to view the presentation, “Starting Non-Traditional Feeding Programs.”