January 13, 2012 – Hurry! The Early Bird registration deadline for SNA’s 2012 Legislative Action Conference (LAC) is fast approaching! Register by January 20th and you will save $50 off the regular registration fees. LAC will take place at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., March 4-7, 2012. To register, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/lac.
Although the LAC room block is sold out at the JW Marriott, we are currently working with the hotel to see if more rooms can be added. We are also researching for an overflow hotel. In the meantime, we are compiling a waiting list for those in need of rooms and contacting those guests that have multiple reservations with hopes that more rooms will become available.
To assist in securing appropriate hotel accommodations for your visit to Washington, please forward the following information to SNA’s Meetings Center at meetings@schoolnutrition.org: first and last name, arrival and departure dates, as well as bedding preference (i.e. single/double).
At LAC 2012, you will gain firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of the democratic process, as you learn about the legislative and regulatory issues facing school nutrition programs. You also will have the chance to visit Capitol Hill, where you can let the elected lawmakers of the U.S. Congress know your priorities as a child nutrition expert. Plus, you will hear valuable updates from representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as political insights from keynote speaker Charlie Cook, one of Washington’s most highly respected political analysts and commentators.
Highlights of this year’s LAC will include:
Make plans today to join us in our nation’s capital for four inspiring days as we walk the halls of Congress, network with colleagues and discuss the state of our programs! To learn more about LAC 2012, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/lac. The special Early Bird registration rate deadline is January 20, 2012, so don’t delay—register today!
LAC 2012
Register for LAC
LAC Hotel & Travel
January 12, 2012—Now that 2012 is underway, numerous foodservice trend watchers are sharing their predictions for this year’s top food trends. Among some of the trends identified are healthful kids’ restaurant meals, whole-grain items in kids’ restaurant meals and Peruvian cuisine.
Some of the top food trends for 2012 identified by The Food Channel in conjunction with Culture Waves, the International Food Futurists and Mintel International are outdoor cooking, amateur and professional chefs using online tools such as YouTube to showcase their skills and restaurant chefs creating branded farms to showcase the products that they have grown.
According to trend consultants Hartman Group, consumers should expect to see a wide variety of local berries and tree fruits appear in beverages, baked goods and snack foods. Hartman Group also anticipates seeing more snacks containing naturally-occurring protein and fiber from beans, pulses, nuts and seeds, rather than added soy and whey protein and inulin. Additional trends to watch for include grass-fed meat, healthy fats, portion control, farro and kettle potato chips.
What can diners expect to see in restaurants in 2012? The National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot in 2012” survey of approximately 1,800 professional chefs identified some of the top restaurant trends to watch as healthful kids’ meals, whole-grain items in kids’ meals, children’s nutrition as a culinary theme and gluten-free and food allergy-conscious items.
Contributors for the McCormick 2012 Flavor Forecast® identified the new year’s top 10 flavor pairings. Among these are dill with mint, melon and cucumber; cumin with sofrito; grapefruit with red pepper; and ginger with coconut.
For additional information from these trend reports, see the following websites.
The Food Channel: Top Ten Food Trends for 2012Butter, portion control, tart cherries and stevia. Welcome to 2012
National Restaurant Association “What’s Hot in 2012” Survey
McCormick 2012 Flavor Forecast®