IN YOUR ORCHARD
THE ALMOND BOARD What’s C&U? And Why Should Growers Care?
That scale is why the Almond Board of California engages with campus dining not only to encourage menu inclusion, but to help make almonds visible, desirable and repeatedly chosen by students. When almonds show up in everyday meals and beverages, they can influence preferences, normalize new uses beyond snacking and ultimately build long-term demand. Campus Dining Has Changed Dramatically College dining today looks very different than it did a generation ago. Many universities now operate chef- driven programs that emphasize scratch cooking, global flavors and ingredient transparency. On some campuses, dining experiences rival what is found in major cities. Dining halls often feature multiple stations under one roof. These include plant forward menus, global cuisines, bakeries, smoothie bars and allergen aware options. Dining teams are expected to meet nutritional goals, sustainability commitments and dietary needs, while still delivering flavors students want. For almonds, this shift creates meaningful opportunity. Almond butter, almond flour and other almond forms can show up across dayparts in smoothies, baked goods, sauces, snacks and globally-inspired dishes. When students encounter almonds in craveable, on-trend formats, it broadens how they think about almonds and can influence what they buy and eat beyond campus. Engaging with Campuses ABC works with campus dining leaders, executive chefs and purchasers, especially at universities that manage their own dining programs, to make it easier to feature almonds in ways students will choose. These teams shape what shows up on menus and, by extension, what students try, like and come back for.
When growers think about foodservice demand, restaurants and packaged foods often come to mind. But another foodservice segment is quietly shaping ingredient use, consumer preferences and long-term demand: College and University (C&U) foodservice. C&U refers to on campus dining programs at colleges and universities. These programs feed students, faculty and staff every day across multiple venues and meals. Collectively, C&U foodservice represents an estimated $18 billion industry nationwide, with thousands of campuses and significant purchasing power. For almonds, it is a segment where scale and influence intersect. A High Volume, High Impact Foodservice Channel College campuses serve food continuously. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are offered seven days a week. Some campuses prepare tens of thousands of meals daily across dining halls, cafés, food trucks and catering operations. Even small ingredient decisions, when multiplied across millions of meals each year, can add up quickly.
ABC is partnering with campus dining teams like UMass Amherst to spotlight almonds through on-campus activations and recipe support, helping students discover craveable almond applications beyond snacking and building long-term preference that can carry past graduation.
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ALMOND FACTS
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