SNA Research on the Issues and Trends Impacting School Nutrition

2024 School Nutrition Trends Report

SNA surveyed its school nutrition director members in Fall of 2023 to evaluate economic, procurement and operational trends in school nutrition programs and examine concerns regarding proposed school nutrition requirements.

August 2023 Participation Analysis

An analysis of SY 2022-23 breakfast and lunch average daily participation (ADP) and total meals served.

2023 School Nutrition Trends Report

SNA surveyed its school nutrition director members in November 2022 to evaluate economic, operational and regulatory challenges for school nutrition programs and assess the impact of the loss of federal pandemic waivers.

2022 Supply Chain Report

“Staying Afloat in a Perfect Storm” details insights from a series of listening sessions with school meal program operators, K-12 industry representatives and State Agency officials, hosted in May 2022 by the School Nutrition Association (SNA) and School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), with support from Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry.

2021 Supply Chain Report

SNA surveyed its school nutrition director members in the fall of 2021 to evaluate current challenges with supply chain and staffing, and assess the state of school nutrition program finances.

Back to School 2021 Report

SNA surveyed its school nutrition director members during May -June 2021 to understand the effect of offering meals at no charge, readiness to meet meal pattern mandates and associated challenges, the financial state of school nutrition programs and current concerns in planning for SY 2021/22.

SNA 2022 Research Agenda

SNA outlines 5 research priority topics for school nutrition research, identifying specific sub-topics and areas of focus, as well as recommended research strategies to strengthen the base of knowledge in each priority topic area.

School Meals Served and Reimbursements During the COVID-19 Pandemic

An analysis of USDA FNS data comparing number of meals served and reimbursements between School Year (SY) 2019-20 and SY 2020-21.

Impact of COVID-19 on School Nutrition Programs: Back to School 2020 Report

SNA surveyed its school nutrition director members in September 2020 to understand how COVID-19 has impacted school nutrition operation finances, student participation, fall 2020 re-opening service for distance and in-person learning, and school nutrition director concerns.

Impact of COVID-19 on School Nutrition Programs: Part II

SNA surveyed its school nutrition director members in May 2020 to understand the methods programs are using to feed students, program participation, their current concerns, and to assess the financial impacts of COVID-19 closures.

Impact of COVID-19 on The School Nutrition Industry

A report of SNA industry member survey results regarding the impacts of COVID-19 school closures on the school nutrition industry.

2020 Compensation & Benefits Report

SNA’s 2020 Compensation & Benefits Report provides as comprehensive a picture of compensation and benefits in the school foodservice sector as there currently exists. The report summarizes the findings from a survey conducted from October 2019 through December 2019, with director-level SNA members from 1,042 unique school districts nationwide.

2019 School Nutrition Trends Report

SNA’s 2019 School Nutrition Trends Report summarizes the results of a 2019 survey of over 800 unique school district meal programs nationwide. The report includes information on whole grain offerings; emerging menu trends including customizable, international and clean label menu options; and unpaid student meal debt.

2018 School Nutrition Operations Report

SNA’s School Nutrition Operations Report: The State of School Nutrition 2018 benchmarks operational practices of school nutrition programs. The report includes information on meal prices, participation rates, lunch and breakfast service venues, nutrition education initiatives, food and beverages trends, as well as plans related to construction and equipment purchases from more than 1,500 school nutrition directors.

Historical NSLP and SBP Participation Tracking

Tracking of national participation rates for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program from SY2011-2012 to SY2018-19 (until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic) using USDA data.

Little Big Fact Book: The Essential Guide to School Nutrition

A compact, easy-to-use reference booklet with critical information about school nutrition programs.

The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management

If you’re looking for the latest research articles on significant issues affecting child nutrition and school foodservice management, look no further. Published twice a year, each issue of The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management features several research articles on topics critical to the successful operation of school meal programs.