EVOLUTION THE
OF FOOD TRENDS
W ill the 2024-2025 school year be remem- bered for the rise in parfait consumption or the acceptance of Latin flavors like em - panadas and street tacos? Food trends are constantly evolving; some are on the rise, oth- ers are holding steady, and some are on their way out. Imagine how powerful it would be to know which food trends are worth adding to your menus this upcoming school year. This article offers a sneak peek into the K-12 food trends on the rise.
managers/supervisors, 33.7% directors, 18.7% staff, 4.2% chefs, and 1.5% state agency rep - resentatives. The survey aimed to identify the most popular items, those gaining popularity, and those declining in popularity. Quite possibly, the most valuable results lie in what trends are on the rise. According to the survey results, the top three morning de- lights gaining traction are muffins, yogurt parfaits, and breakfast smoothies! Yes, you heard it right! These good-
The Institute of Child Nu- trition (ICN) Applied Re - search Division (ARD), under the leadership of Director Mar- juyua Lartey Gib- son, PhD, RDN, is leading the na- tion in research topics critical to school meal pro- grams. The ICN understands that collecting data on K-12 food trends provides powerful and useful informa- tion for school nutrition menu planners and oper- ators.
ies are stealing the show and capturing the hearts (and stomachs) of students na - tionwide. So, the next
time you are pondering your breakfast menu items, consider these scrumptious options!
An interesting reve- lation in the results comes from the din- ing cuisines category. Sitting at the top spot for growing in popular- ity is Latin American cui- sine. Some specific items in this category are empanadas, tamales, and street tacos. This trend indicates that K-12 custom- ers are graduating from simple and fa- miliar items like beef tacos to more sophisti - cated versions like street tacos. Adding a new twist on a current item could be just the menu
Recently, ARD conducted a Food Trends in K12: Rapid Response Online Survey Series research project, surveying 1691 participants: 41.80%
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