Baking & Snack - October 2019 - 41

TRENDS
School Foodservice

Baking and snack companies capture the imagination of people who
have more options than ever for supplementing institutional foods.
by Nico Roesler

School lunch and breakfast programs can have a profound impact on young students' lives. Federal nutrition
standards that limit sodium and sugar intake, however,
are changing what baking and snack companies can supply to schools. Ultimately, the goal of schools and other
institutions is to have consumers opt for meal plans and
in-house dining options rather than pursue other foodservice solutions.
Since the nutrition standards of the Healthy, HungerFree Kids Act of 2010, 2 million fewer students choose
school lunch each day. "Schools are really focused on
trying to bring students back into the meal program not
only for the financial stability of the program, but also
because research shows school meals are healthier than
the average packed lunch," said Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations, School Nutrition Association
(SNA). "They really want to make sure these kids are
getting these meals not only from a health perspective
but also reducing any stigma on the students who really
have to take those meals from a financial perspective.
"Schools are really looking to restaurants to get ideas
on how they bring customers in the door," Ms. PrattHeavner continued. "They know they need to make
healthier meals than ever before; they know they need to
make them appealing."
To see a microcosm of larger US consumer trends in
food, visit a high school or college. Where these halls of
learning once offered a limited menu with just one or
two options per day, they now provide a plethora of dining choices.
Schools and other institutions are finding ways to make
their dining options appealing, healthy and relevant in the
eyes of their consumers who are increasingly searching
outside the institutions to feed their individual tastes. In
the larger food industry, healthy eating and ethnic flavors
are the rage. These trends are directly reflected in schools
as they and their supplier partners keep up with the demands that come with changing eating habits.

"People want bread that's fresher, tastier, healthier,
more delicious, more local and beautiful," said Trish
Karter, CEO of Chabaso, New Haven, CT. Chabaso
supplies its breads to schools in the Northeast. "We see
those demands starting at the individual consumer level
and moving upstream to the institutional level."

Schools are implementing
plans to bring kids back
to meal programs through
improved nutritional quality.
Rick Brady, SNA

Defining healthy by generation
Bakers targeting schools and other institutions should
be aware of generational eating trends at each specific
location. A hospital will differ from a college campus,
and a university will to differ from a high school.
YPulse, Inc., a New-York based research firm that
studies younger generations' consumer preferences,
conducts bimonthly surveys of 13- to 37-years-olds in
the US to gauge their preferences. According to recent
surveys, 88% of middle and high schoolers, and 93% of
college students say that nutrition and healthy eating is
important to them. But what is their idea of healthy?
According to MaryLeigh Bliss, vice-president of content, YPulse, Generation Z and millennial consumers
are increasingly incorporating balance into their diets.
They are willing to indulge when appropriate. "The majority of middle school, high school and college students
tell us they consider themselves overall healthy, and the
majority of students tell us they try to have a healthy
diet," Ms. Bliss said. "That being said, 71% of middle and
high school students and 84% of college students tell us
that indulgences are part of a healthy diet."
These indulgences take several forms, but one of the
most prominent is snacking. According to YPulse, 82%
of middle and high school students and 71% of college
students snack throughout the day, especially in the afternoon. Knowing this, baking and snack companies can
supply the appropriate products to fill this need.
"Consider moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to health claims and callouts," said Eric Moore
Ruddy, senior manager, consumer and industry insights,

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