It’s back-to-school time across the US. Nearly 30 million students eat school lunch every day, according to the School Nutrition Association.

When it comes to school lunch, 82% of parents with children in kindergarten through eighth grade say they are satisfied with the food the school offers, according to foodservice market research group Technomic. High-school students, however, are far less impressed, with only 46% saying they are satisfied with their available lunch options.

School feeding occasions don’t just mean lunch anymore. Before- and after-school eating occasions include school breakfast programs as well as after-school care and after-school activities.

For families needing a quick, convenient, kid-favorite lunch bag go-to, both jerky and meat sticks provide protein and a feeling of fullness and satisfaction as either a snack or a meal component at school.  

“With kids, taste wins every time,” said Cathie Weiner, senior brand manager for Hinesburg, Vt.-based Vermont Smoke & Cure.

“We’ve found that starting around middle school, children start to eat what their parents and peers eat and that the pantry transitions to being for the total household,” Weiner said. “That’s why we converted our top four flavors (Turkey Pepperoni, Original Beef + Pork, Bacon and BBQ) into half-ounce sticks sold in a convenient 3-ounce pouch, sized right for families preparing lunchboxes and who are on the go.”

Single-serve options that are pre-packaged are perfect for the lunchbox because they save time when preparing for school in the morning, said Deanna Depke, director of sales and marketing for St. Louis-based Volpi Foods Corp.

“Parents are looking for these value-added meat snacks not only to save time though, they must be easy for their child to open on their own,” Depke said. “Making sure there are perforated tear lines on bags or lids that can peel back easily is very important. These small details can determine if the parent will purchase the product again.”

She said Volpi Snack Cups with Pepperoni & Cheddar as well as Volpi’s five- and 10-pack bags of Roltini Singles are popular this time of year because each Roltini is individually wrapped for ease of packing into a school lunch.

“The snacks are easy to pack into a lunchbox and can be found across convenience for an easy grab on the way to school, or at club and retail for the ease of buying in bulk,” she said.

For both meat sticks and jerky, Weiner said a paradigm shift needs to occur from positioning meat snacks like jerky or meat sticks as being a salty, guilty pleasure to being positioned as a premium, more charcuterie-style product.

“A meat snack should and can taste like the superior cuts of meat connoisseurs or health-conscious people seek,” she said.

VSC is launching a premium beef stick that will mimic classic ribeye flavor, she said.

“Pepperoni continues to be a popular flavor with school-aged children,” Depke said. “It is an easily recognizable flavor that children are introduced to through pizza and other avenues. Mild flavors trend as well.”

Depke said Volpi is seeing a trend for back-to-school lunches that are pre-portioned and pre-packaged meat snacks that are high in protein and feature better-for-you ingredients.

Making sure meat snacks are allergen friendly is important for school snacks, Depke said.

“This can be challenging, as some meat snacks might feature certain ingredients or flavor profiles that can’t be enjoyed by all,” she said. “A great way to make sure a meat snack is child friendly is to look for those that use all-natural, minimal ingredients.”

She said Volpi brand products feature no artificial ingredients, and items like their Salami Stix are dairy-free for those that cannot consume dairy.