SNA Conference Offers School Meal Innovations 

Contact: Diane Pratt-Heavner, 703-576-7526, media@schoolnutrition.org

SNA Conference Offers School Meal Innovations 

More than 6,000 school nutrition professionals to attend ANC San Antonio, July 13-15  

ARLINGTON, VA – More than 6,000 school nutrition professionals are headed to San Antonio to participate in School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) Annual National Conference (ANC), July 13 – 15. ANC exhibits and education sessions offer school menu options and best practices to help attendees meet nutrition standards and student taste preferences, while balancing financial and operational challenges. 

Media wishing to attend ANC must contact Diane Pratt-Heavner at media@schoolnutrition.org to register for the conference. Eligible media guests must follow the Press Registration Policies. 

ANC features the nation’s largest exhibit hall in school nutrition. Attendees will sample foods and beverages, preview equipment, supplies and technologies and discuss pricing and product availability with nearly 360 exhibitors. More than 120 ANC education sessions and culinary demonstrations will share tactics for improving menus and managing staff shortages and budget constraints. 

ANC offers: 

• Scratch Cooking Solutions: As schools work to expand fresh-preparation and scratch cooking, ANC offers recipes and culinary demonstrations, tips for increasing local sourcing and minimizing procurement costs. Exhibitors will offer culinary training, kitchen design services, equipment and technology to help schools utilize limited staff resources more efficiently.  

• Cultural and Regional Favorites: To appeal to students’ growing demand for diverse international and regionally inspired flavors, attendees will sample everything from Indian curries and Ramen bowls, to Cajun chicken, local Tamales and Kolaches, and Gulf Coast seafood. 

• Regulation-Ready Options: In advance of new federal rules limiting added sugar and sodium in school meals and state bans on artificial dyes and additives, exhibitors will offer reduced sugar cereals, beverages and yogurts that use fruit or vegetable juices for color, and low- and no-sodium spice blends and sauces to flavor school meals. 

• Dietary Accommodations: As meal programs strive to meet students’ dietary needs, exhibitors will offer gluten- and nut-free snacks and entrees, plant-based menu items, dairy alternatives and clean label options. ANC education sessions will share best practices for allergy management and vendors will preview equipment and serving lines designed to prevent cross contamination. 

• Farm to School Deep Dive: Sessions and exhibits on expanding local procurement, school gardens and farm to school initiatives, including a pre-conference session at IDEA Public Schools’ Eastside San Antonio campus, allowing attendees to tour the school farm, watch recipe demos of the harvested produce served in school menus and learn how agricultural and nutrition education are incorporated into the school culture.  

SNA’s 2025 School Nutrition Trends Survey found virtually all responding school meal program directors (97.9%) reported challenges with food costs, while 88.7% cited challenges with staff shortages. In addition to providing ANC attendees with resources to manage these challenges, SNA is urging Congress to increase federal reimbursements for school meals, provide free meals for all students and address unpaid school meal debt.  

About the School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. For more information about ANC, visit www.SchoolNutrition.org/ANC.