The official Balanced Tray (formerly Friday Food Fight) podcast is where we are redefining what it means to be a School Nutrition Professional — Redefining School Nutrition, One Bite at A Time!
S3 Ep7: Buy American Compliance Documentation & Phase-In Requirements
Stay compliant. Stay informed. Stay confident. This course podcast provides a clear and practical understanding of the Buy American provision and its role in school nutrition programs. It breaks down what qualifies as a “domestic” product under the 51% rule, explains the non-domestic purchase cap and its phase-in schedule, and simplifies key regulatory requirements into easy-to-follow insights.
Listeners will also learn how to identify allowable exceptions, navigate the FAR Nonavailable Articles List, and properly document purchases using the USDA Exceptions Tracking Form. With added best practices for working with distributors, this episode helps school nutrition professionals make confident, compliant purchasing decisions in their daily operations.
7 Oct 2025
S3 Ep6: Balanced Tray – Marketing Hacks to Make Healthy the New Cool – October 2025 – 3130/4120
In this episode, we are joined by Alex, a registered dietitian passionate about school food service. Together, we explore the challenges of serving nutritious and appealing meals while balancing regulations, labor shortages, and parental expectations.
Alex shares her journey into dietetics, innovative ways to engage kids with healthier food, and her advocacy for free meals for all students. We also dive into the power of marketing, creative menu presentation, and how social media can spotlight the positive side of school food programs.
31 Mar 2025
S3 Ep5: Balanced Tray – The Art of Appetite: Food Photography Strategies for Reaching Students Exam
In this episode of The Balanced Tray, we’re joined by Ashley Moyna Schwickert, founder of Studio Moyna, to explore the power of food photography in school nutrition marketing. Ashley shares practical tips for capturing crave-worthy food photos—using just your smartphone! Whether you’re new to photography or already snapping pics, this episode is packed with easy, effective strategies to help you connect with students and parents through eye-catching visuals.
Get to know more about Ashley and Studio Moyna!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 17 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
20
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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