Annual Conference
Conference Session
2015-11-08
"Smarter Lunchrooms-Success Leads to Success"Key Areas: Communications/Marketing
Session: Session F - Sunday, November 08th: 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - 104B
Session Repeat: Session G - Sunday, November 08th: 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. - 104B
Speaker(s): Mary Ann Mills - Program Representative III, University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program
Candice Sainz - Community Nutrition Adviser, Dairy Council of California
Suzy Sayre - Director of Nutrition Services , El Monte Union High School District
Rene Yamashiro - Food Service Director , Roseville City School District
Objectives: Attendees will be able to describe the principles of smarter lunchrooms and how it improve student selection of healthier foods. They will be able to describe two examples of schools that have implemented successfully and will have practiced redesigning a lunchroom.
- Define Smarter Lunchrooms Movement and Behavioral Economics
- Describe three best practices
- Consider how to apply Smarter Lunchrooms in your district
Description: Success Leads to Success! This two part session will cover behavioral economics - the practice of altering the physical environment in order to affect purchasing and consumption behavior - which lies at the heart of the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM), developed by Cornell University
In SLM part one, you will learn how small changes can make a big difference in motivating students to select healthier choice and gain a solid foundation in the theory behind SLM interventions. SLM explains why traditional methods of influencing eating behavior (such as choice restriction and financial subsidies) often fail and why Smarter Lunchrooms - Six Principles have proven to be successful.
In SLM part two, you will hear how from a panel of local food service directors about the successes and challenges in implementing the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM) in California. You will also have an opportunity to think through how you can take SLM back to your school and increase meal participation, reduce plate waste, and increase student consumption of healthy foods.
Speaker Bio(s):
Mary Ann Mills - University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program
Speaker Bio:
Mary Ann Mills is a Program Representative III at the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program. She is the program coordinator for the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement through the UC CalFresh State Office. She received her BS in Health Education from California State University Chico and has worked in the field of public health for approximately 6 years. Prior to her work with the UC CalFresh state office, Mary Ann worked as a Community Education Specialist at the Butte County UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program. While at the Butte County UCCE, she helped implement and deliver their nutrition education programs and led SLM efforts. Prior to her work with UCCE, Mary Ann served as a Peace Corps Volunteer at a health center in Guyana, South America.
Candice Sainz
Speaker Bio:
Candice Sainz is a passionate advocate for school-based nutrition education and balanced eating from all five food groups. With six years of experience as a Community Nutrition Adviser with Dairy Council of California, Candice has partnered with over 40 school districts in LA, Orange and Riverside Counties to enhance the health and well-being of children and parents by enabling individuals to make healthful food and lifestyle choices. Because of this work, several school districts, like LAUSD, El Monte City School District and Torrance Unified have received assistance in creating and implementing their wellness policies. Serving as a Technical Advising Professional for the Smarter Lunchroom Movement of California, Candice has witnessed healthy lifestyle change at the grassroots level. Candice holds a Bachelor's degree in Science with a Concentration in Health Science from Cal State Fullerton and spent two years developing her passion for community health with the Network for a Healthy California.
Suzy Sayre - El Monte Union High School District
Speaker Bio:
Suzy Sayre currently serves as Director of Nutrition Services for El Monte Union High School District, since 2003. Suzy has over 30 years of experience in the food service industry, including restaurants, a theme park and schools. She has worked in school food service the past 22 years, starting her career at Capistrano Unified School District in 1993. Suzy likes to stay active in her association and currently is the Registration Chair for the Southern California School Nutrition Association. She is on the Advisory Panel for the Dairy Council of California and was named, by the Dairy Council, the inaugural Community Heath All Star. Her district along with four schools in California has been honored as a 2015 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon District Sustainability Awardee. The district demonstrated exemplary achievement in three "pillars" including improving the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff.
Rene Yamashiro - Roseville City School District
Speaker Bio:
Rene' Yamashiro is the Food Service Director at the Roseville City School District in California, and manages the school nutrition program for over 17,000 students in two elementary school districts. She began her food service career working in a Fresno county hospital dietary department while she earned her Bachelor's degree in Dietetics at Cal State University, Fresno. She moved to Sacramento and began her school nutrition career at the Elk Grove Unified School District as a food service operation's manager for 10 years before she moved to the director's position in Roseville in 1999.
She is a past president of the California School Nutrition Association (CSNA) and her theme as president was 'Food and Fitness - It's FUNdamental' and served as CSNA's Public Policy and Legislative Chair for 3 terms working on both State and Federal legislative issues affecting child nutrition programs.
Her philosophy of operating a successful program is to offer students a wide variety of the best quality food you can afford, serve it in a friendly atmosphere and hire and train customer friendly and caring staff.
She is a past president of the California School Nutrition Association (CSNA) and her theme as president was 'Food and Fitness - It's FUNdamental' and served as CSNA's Public Policy and Legislative Chair for 3 terms working on both State and Federal legislative issues affecting child nutrition programs.
Her philosophy of operating a successful program is to offer students a wide variety of the best quality food you can afford, serve it in a friendly atmosphere and hire and train customer friendly and caring staff.
Upcoming CSNA Events
November 13-16, 202472nd Annual Conference
April 6-8, 2025
Legislative Action Conference
May 4-6, 2025
Child Nutrition & Industry Summit
