School Nutrition Association

Grow A La Carte Sales Without Losing Reimbursable Meals

Nutrition teams often worry that building a la carte sales will pull kids away from the reimbursable line. It doesn’t have to. Joy Peters, Director of Child Nutrition at Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, joins LINQ’s David Vasquez to talk through how she grows a la carte and keeps reimbursable participation strong. You’ll hear how to earn student buy-in, stay inside Smart Snacks rules, and make a la carte easy for kids to buy. Walk away with ideas you can use in your own cafeterias this school year. Learning objectives: identify two student buy-in strategies that grow a la carte sales while keeping reimbursable meal participation steady; apply a simple check to confirm whether a snack meets Smart Snacks standards; and select one change to offerings or payment experience to pilot. Cost: $49 for non-members; free for Operator/Allied Members, Industry Members and State Execs. Registration is through the SNA Training Zone. SNA CEUs: 1.0. Key Area 1000: Nutrition; Key Topic 1100: Menu Planning. Supported by LINQ.