(L to R) Cindy Culver and Jason Tepper alongside NPB Marketing and Communications Manager and Registered Dietician Markita Lewis
The National Peanut Board (NPB) continues to remove barriers to peanut consumption by empowering K-12 foodservice professionals to serve more peanuts in more ways. That mission took center stage at the School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference (SNA ANC), held July 13-15 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The conference brought together more than 6,000 school nutrition program operators, industry partners and allied organizations to explore innovative strategies for strengthening K-12 school nutrition programs.
Markita Lewis, M.S., RDN, NPB marketing and communications manager, was selected to present alongside Cindy Culver, Ph.D., RDN, LD, FAND, director of school nutrition for Marietta City Schools in Georgia, and Jason Tepper, B.A., AOS, executive chef for Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia. Their session, Scratch Made, Speed Approved: Smarter Ways to Serve, focused on practical strategies for expanding scratch cooking in school nutrition programs that districts of all sizes and skill levels can implement.
During the session, presenters demonstrated how to use the Scratch Cooking Continuum in school kitchens and discussed how promoting special events, including cultural menu celebrations and taste tests, can increase student participation. Audience members were highly engaged through live polls and a question-and-answer session, and the presentation ranked among the conference’s top 30 highest-rated sessions.
In the exhibit hall, Lewis joined consultant Tarrah Westercamp, M.S., RDN, SNS, of Westercamp Consulting at the Smucker’s booth to answer questions about food allergen management. Their participation supported an ongoing partnership between NPB and Smucker’s following a webinar held in May that educated sales representatives and school districts nationwide about safer food allergen management practices and menu opportunities featuring peanuts.
The conference also provided an opportunity to reconnect with school nutrition leaders who attended NPB’s Summer School Nutrition Summit in June, as well as other school nutrition professionals who support serving peanuts in schools. Through continued thought leadership and strategic partnerships, NPB is helping more schools confidently put peanuts back on the menu.
