December 2019 Issue

Let’s be honest: If we composed our inner circles of just individuals who had the same views and opinions as ourselves, life would be a little bland. Learning the differing viewpoints of others and gaining alternative perspectives makes life a little more fun and interesting. It’s good for each of us to get outside our comfort zone and learn more about the world. And our varying opinions can often lead to friendly discourse—again, making life more interesting.

Log into your SNA account and scroll down to read this month's articles, view the digital issue or download a PDF of the magazine to print or share. Here's what's covered:

But there are some topics that are understandably hard to broach— climate change, immigration and contract management companies are on that list. However, if not handled correctly, these conversations could elevate into heated debates. In this latest edition of School Nutrition , we are tackling those hard-to-discuss topics with insightful, research-packed articles.

Mother Earth is getting hotter and it is already impacting American agriculture, and research suggests the effects will get worse. With changing climate patterns and American farmers scrambling, school meal operations could start feeling the consequences in several years.

Immigration is one reason American school populations are growing, and with more students in classes, it equates for more mouths to feed in schools. And it can create some complications for school communities and school nutrition departments.

And finally, self-operating and contract-managed school foodservice programs share a common goal: feeding children health school meals. But, does it matter if the driving motivation is financial or humanitarian? Is the K-12 segment big enough to accommodate both approaches?