June 13, 2012 – Demonstrations are a fun and effective way to learn a new idea, or check out a product or service. And at SNA’s Annual National Conference (ANC), July 15-18, 2012, the Exhibit Hall will feature two types of demonstrations: the Culinary Demonstrations and the new Cutting-Edge Complex demonstrations! Be sure to make time for these exciting and worthwhile demonstrations, taking place throughout the conference.

Photo: EZ Event Photography

Culinary Demonstrations
The always popular Culinary Demonstrations allows attendees the opportunity to watch chefs close-up as they share new and innovative ways to prepare and serve meals The following companies will be participating in these demonstrations:

• National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) and USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service: Chef Lee Craven will highlight a variety of culinary and seasoning techniques featured in the NFSMI resource, Culinary Techniques for Healthy School Meals.
• Western Dairy Association/A Division of the National Dairy Council: Chef Jeremy Glas will show you how to expand your nutrition opportunities by serving nutrient-rich smoothies for school breakfast, grab-and-go meals, a la carte lunches and school functions through the Fuel Up to Play 60, Fuel Up with Smoothies program.
• ConAgra Foodservice: Back by popular demand, celebrity Chef Jeff Henderson will demonstrate how you can easily incorporate whole grains, without affecting the taste, texture or kid appeal of your menu.
• MARS Foodservices: In this Rice 101 demonstration, Chef Chris Skolmutch will showcase the winning UNCLE BEN’S Ben’s Beginners Rice & Chicken recipe featured on "The Rachael Ray Show," and recipes featuring UNCLE BEN’S Flavored Rice.
• McCormick For Chefs: Chef Kevan Vetter will showcase techniques for developing fantastic flavors while keeping in mind today’s focus on wellness. He will also prove that “better for you” doesn’t have to mean boring or bland.
• Kikkoman Sales: Join Chef Ann Cooper for a demonstration that will utilize Kikkoman sauces in a variety of ways and in combination with USDA Foods.

New! Cutting-Edge Complex Demonstrations
In these presentations, you’ll learn about some of the newest equipment and software technology options available to the school nutrition market. The following companies will be participating in these demonstrations:

• RATIONAL USA: RATIONAL will showcase the benefits of their newest innovation: SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency. Participants will be able to “test drive” the equipment by navigating through the unit panel.
• Duke Manufacturing: In this demonstration, Duke Manufacturing will present their latest innovation: X-Green Produce Safety System—a complete fresh fruit and vegetable processing system that allows you to quickly and efficiently turn around fresh, clean and sanitized produce.
• MCS Software, LLC: MCS Software will present their new Palm Scanning System, an innovative technology that promises to save you time, money and headaches.

Each demo will last about 45 minutes, so there’s still plenty of time to go to all the exhibits. So whether you take in one or all of these one-of-a-kind demonstrations, you’re sure to walk away with some great new ideas!

P.S. SNA recently extended its Regular Rate registration deadline for ANC, and will now accept registrations until June 29, 2012. But hurry—after June 29th, all registrations must be submitted onsite and will be charged at the Onsite Rate!

Related Links:

ANC 2012

Register for ANC

June 13, 2012—Whether your school meals program serves 400 kids or 40,000, the odds are that your plate is pretty full with the responsibilities associated with prepping and serving nutritious, appealing, federally compliant meals to school children. And yet, if you can’t find opportunities to serve up some nutrition education along with your healthy meals, the rest of your team’s efforts barely matter. The June/July issue of School Nutrition, SNA’s award-winning flagship publication, explores some nutrition education ideas designed to fit with your operation’s time and budget. Also included is a behind-the-scenes look at last fall’s episode of “Chopped” that featured school nutrition professionals and a preview of this summer’s Annual National Conference in Denver.

From simple routines to involved projects to complex programs, there are many ways to incorporate nutrition education into your day. In “You, Too, Can Teach,” discover a spectrum of ideas and best practices to consider.

Chefs, farmers and opera singers (?!). “Round up the Unusual Suspects” explores how these community partners—and many others—may be willing and able to help you deliver important nutrition education to your students.

By applying a little behavioral psychology, you can teach kids to make smarter, healthier food choices. Curious to learn more? “Raise Your Cafeteria’s IQ” is full of valuable research and suggestions that you can implement in your own operation.

“Head of the Class” takes you behind the scenes of “Chopped,” the buzzed-about Food Network show, to reveal how four inspiring school nutrition professionals sliced and diced some longstanding negative stereotypes, while raising the public awareness bar for healthy school meals. Bonus Web Content: Learn about life after “Chopped” and read on for some more behind-the-scenes insights.

There is no better place to discover what’s new on the horizon in school nutrition than in Denver at SNA’s Annual National Conference, July 15-18, 2012. Don’t miss the complete conference preview found in “Onward, Pioneers!”

Gray skies are going to clear up (at least metaphorically) when you serve up the sweetness of yellow and orange fruits. “Sunny Dispositions” provides a detailed look and serving suggestions in the first part of this multi-part fruit exploration. Bonus Web Content: Learn about even more yellow and orange fruits and check out an additional web-exclusive recipe.

Related Link

School Nutrition–June/July 2012