New Year Checklist for Healthy Menus
Bring a Fresh Focus to Allergy-Friendly Serving
The New Year brings new opportunities for student engagement and operational adjustments.
As winter classes and cafeterias fill up once again, use this simple checklist to renew your program’s food allergy protocols and sense of well-being.
Why Food Allergies Come First
Did You Know?
The occurrence of food allergies has been increasing for decades, up by 50% between 1997 and 2011, and up again by 50% between 2007 and 2021.
Nearly 11% of adults and 8% of children – roughly two in every classroom – have at least one food allergy.
Every 10 seconds, a food allergy sends a patient to the emergency room.
(source: foodallergy.org)
Nuts are a Top Risk
Nut allergies are among the most common food allergies. Even trace amounts of nuts can trigger severe reactions in those who are allergic.
SunButter® is here to help you simplify allergy-friendly serving across all your menus.
Check Off Key Tasks
Post-winter break is the time to:
- Continue product evaluations for next school year.
- Promote wellness-focused meals in alignment with New Year trends and student dining preferences.
- Encourage self-care and mental health for both you and your staff.
- Assess winter participation rates and adjust menu offerings.
- Conduct refresher staff training on food allergen safety.
Start here: Brush up your school-wide wellness objectives, including food allergy protocols.
Go here: Offer engaging LTOs while continuing to smooth operations.
Share the Food Allergy Facts
Train all staff to understand:
- Food allergies are considered a disability under multiple federal and state laws.
- A food allergy is not the same as an intolerance, dietary restriction, or preference. It can be life threatening.
- It takes the whole staff working in unison to create a positive environment for those with food allergies – people need to know what’s in their food.
Wellness Is Wise
Helping students with food allergies be and feel safe at school is part of a larger movement towards wellness. The NACUFS report “Campus Dining: 2030 and Beyond” ranks mental health and well-being as the highest priority, just ahead of offering a wide variety of nutritionally balanced menu items (which is also highly rated!).
Get a Super Seed Boost
Sunflower seeds may help lower inflammation. A large study found that regular seed eaters had 32% lower C-reactive protein scores – which is used as a measure of inflammation – than the no-seed group.
When you serve functional foods like sunflower seed butter, help students understand the total performance benefits of the meal to raise their awareness. Those benefits could be:
- Physical – for the brain and athletic power.
- Emotional – for mood and well-being.
- Social – for the power of connecting with others over food.
Build a Nut-Free LTO Calendar
Try It Tuesdays:
Roasted Broccoli SunButter® Coleslaw
Crunchy SunButter® Wrap
Warm Up Wednesdays:
Spicy SunButter® Soup with Avocado Salsa
SunButter® Red Curry Coconut Soup
Fun Fridays:
SunButter® Rice Crispy Treats
SunButter® Sweet Potato Nachos
Grab & Go Breakfast:
SunButter® Banana Quesadilla
Build-Your-Own SunButter® Parfait
Foster Employee Well-Being
Create an environment that facilitates open communication with staff and students. In addition, consider new ways to:
- Provide mental health resources
- Encourage staff to get outside during breaks
- Share mindfulness prompts
For K-12 Leaders: Get Your Annual Planning Guide
Download our free guide to help boost your menu’s wellness throughout the new year, including:
- Planning tips for March events including National Nutrition Month and National School Breakfast Week
- LTO calendars for the rest of the year
- Evaluating staff performance and conducting recognition programs
- Useful tools, like a press release template
- Print it out, hang it on the wall, and keep it handy!
Product Pioneers
When We Say Free of the Top 9 Food Allergens, We Mean It!
SunButter® created the first nut-free spread for schools in partnership with the USDA. SunButter® is the original, made in the USA. We’re super passionate about inspiring simple, inclusive menus that nourish all students.
