Shannon FitzGerald interviews Hannah Carroll, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who leads food services for a K–6 district of roughly 4,000 students in Santa Barbara County. Hannah describes a centralized production model — a full scratch-cooking central kitchen supplying nine sites through mobile serving lines — that has driven lunch participation to around 75% and breakfast [Read More]

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What does it really take to move a school meal program from freezer-to-oven to scratch-cooked? In this episode of iBites, host Shannon FitzGerald, PhD, RDN sits down with Jeanne Reilly, School Nutrition Director for RSU 14 in Windham and Raymond, Maine, for an honest, inspiring conversation about scratch cooking from the ground up.
Jeanne shares [Read More]

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In this episode of iBites, host Shannon FitzGerald sits down with Maria Patiño, a school nutrition manager with 17 years of experience at Manor ISD — a fast-growing district just outside Austin, Texas. Maria shares how she went from walking into the district office unannounced with a 9-month-old in tow to becoming the district’s go-to [Read More]

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Meet Rhiannon Mejia, a Child Nutrition Supervisor in Texas who oversees 10 schools including elementary, middle, and high schools with innovative bistro concepts. Rhiannon shares her inspiring journey from restaurant management to school nutrition, motivated by her own childhood experiences and desire to ensure every child has access to meals. She discusses her leadership approach [Read More]

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Lisa Strine is a Child Nutrition Manager in Fort Worth, Texas, who brings retail training expertise and 18 years of school nutrition experience to her role—where she serves 780 meals daily and maintains an impressive student participation rate. As her district’s in-house trainer and compliance expert, Lisa prepares new managers for success through hands-on MIT [Read More]

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This podcast episode is about the real work of school nutrition leadership. In this episode, we explore how a kitchen manager builds strong teams, engages students, and creates menu programs that balance nutrition standards with student appeal. Practical strategies are shared for staff development and motivation, creative approaches to menu marketing and student engagement, and [Read More]

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Welcome to iBites, the podcast from the Institute of Child Nutrition.
On iBites, we talk with school nutrition professionals from around the country. Our guests share real experiences, practical tips, and proven strategies to support your work. Whether you’re an experienced nutrition director, a manager, or new to child nutrition, this is your community to connect, [Read More]

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Subscribe with: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS | More

Welcome to iBites, the podcast from the Institute of Child Nutrition.
On iBites, we talk with school nutrition professionals from around the country. Our guests share real experiences, practical tips, and proven strategies to support your work. Whether you’re an experienced nutrition director, a manager, or new to child nutrition, this is your community to connect, [Read More]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe with: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS | More