National Child Nutrition Conference

Come learn ideas and tools providers can use to implement positive mealtimes. Topics include Smarter Mealtimes, examining picky eater’s behaviors while identifying tips for creating adventurous eaters and engaging child participation in the kitchen. Leave with strategies, recipes and activities that engage children of any age!

Learn the differences between various types of mechanical diets and how to prepare these foods to meet CACFP guidelines.

Ready to reignite your passion? Become motivated around the fact that you matter, and what you do is important. Learn who you are at your best, and what helps you to operate at optimal potency. Leave understanding what your best ability is, and why it is important to stay encouraged even in the tough times.

You’re new-ish to food programs,working in it daily, and you’ve got the big picture. It’s been one or two years since you’ve started working in CACFP or SFSP, so concepts aren’t new or foreign to you, but you’d love to really explore the important areas with your peers. Attend this structured learning institute to review the meal patterns, discuss basic program administration and get a requirements refresher while also sharing in some table talk.

Standardized recipes are a critical tool to scratch cooking in the CACFP. This session focuses on some key concepts that are essential to understanding, developing, and serving standardized recipes to meet desired meal pattern contributions. This results in consistent product yields, reducing food costs, and efficiency in the kitchen. Learn how to create standardized recipes for your centers and how to guide your home providers so they can be sure their recipes are #CACFPCreditable.

Variety is the spice of life! However, adding variety to your menu while managing a budget, food waste, storage space and more can be a real challenge in a food and nutrition program. Ease some of these issues by learning how to menu plan using multipurpose menu products. We’ll share successful menu planning techniques, tips and tricks, and chef-led demos.

Learn about the impact of COVID on CACFP providers, sponsors, and state agencies as told through the results of a nationwide survey. Hear about the challenges and training needs for operators, get insights from state directors about challenges of administering CACFP during COVID, and learn about strategies that states and the federal government can take to better support families with young children to avoid food insecurity, including CACFP-specific infrastructure and support.

Learn about proven strategies that have resulted in significant cost savings for CACFP and SFSP Sponsors including electronic meal counting, leftover policies, frozen meals, shelf-stable back-up meals, different meal packaging, and partnering with food banks for donated foods. These valuable tools and tips can produce savings that translate into better quality food and financial security for programming.