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Artwork for iBites Podcast
Institute Of Child Nutrition
National School Lunch Program
School Nutrition Programs
Scratch Cooking
School Nutrition
Abilene School District
Texas
Manor Independent School District
Summer Feeding Program
Boston Public Schools
School Food Service
Barbers Hill Intermediate School North
Northeast Ohio
Positive Kitchen Environments
Staff Engagement
New York City Public Schools
US Department Of Agriculture
HACCP
Maria Patino
Central Kitchen

The Institute of Child Nutrition is proud to present the podcast, iBites, where you will learn about all aspects of child nutrition programs. From research to resources, from oral histories to best practices, each iBites will feature a wealth of information to help promote the continuous improvement of child nutrition programs.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes13Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NutritionEducationHealth & Fitness

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Artwork for iBites Podcast

Latest Episodes

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 c... more

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, Mai... more

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 ... more

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, m... more

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Number of Listeners
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People also subscribe to these shows.

The Farm to School Podcast
The Farm to School PodcastRick Sherman & Michelle Markesteyn

Recent Guests

Jeanne Riley
School Nutrition Director for RSU 14 in Maine
RSU 14, Maine
Episode: iBites Podcast – S2E8 – Jeanne Reilly
Maria Patino
School nutrition manager at Manor ISD
Manor Independent School District (TX)
Episode: iBites Podcast – S2E7 – Maria Patiño
Rhiannon Mejia
Child Nutrition Supervisor in Texas
Texas school district (specific district not named)
Episode: iBites Podcast – S2E6 – Rhiannon Mejia
Andrew Urbanetti
Assistant Director of Overseeing Strategic Initiatives for Boston Public Schools
Boston Public Schools
Episode: The Mix Up Podcast – Episode 32– Andrew Urbanetti
Lisa Strine
Child nutrition manager and trainer
School District in Texas
Episode: iBites Podcast – S2E5 – Lisa Strine
Caysie Serna
School nutrition manager at Barbers Hill Intermediate School North
Barbers Hill Independent School District
Episode: iBites Podcast – S2E4 – Caysie Serna
Stephen O'Brien
Nationally recognized leader in K-12 Food Service Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships
SOBI-X2 Consulting
Episode: The Mix Up Podcast – Episode 31 – Shaping Student’s Relationship with Food
Rosalynn Ordonez
Area supervisor for Abilene School District in Texas
Abilene School District
Episode: iBites Podcast – S2E2 – Rosalynn Ordonez
Crystal Beers
Cafeteria manager from the same district
Abilene School District
Episode: iBites Podcast – S2E2 – Rosalynn Ordonez

Hosts

Shannon Fitzgerald
Host conducting interviews and guiding discussions with guests, often focusing on program implementation and staff development.
Patrick Garmong
Co-host with a focus on culinary program leadership and operational insights.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 7 ratings
  • Great podcast!

    Love this podcast! This is a must listen for anyone connected with child nutrition programs.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hoogamajoo
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Practical, actionable insights for district-level meal programs.
Great guest diversity and real-world testing of ideas.
Strong emphasis on staff development and hands-on kitchen leadership.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Mix Up Podcast – Episode 30 – Finding Purpose in School Nutrition with Leah Botko
Q: What is your leadership style and how do you foster empowerment in your team?
She emphasizes a hands-on approach, mentoring, avoiding top-down directives, and building mutual respect by being present, supporting staff, and recognizing their contributions.
The Mix Up Podcast – Episode 30 – Finding Purpose in School Nutrition with Leah Botko
Q: What drew you to the child nutrition space, and how did your career path evolve to leadership in a school district?
Leah describes starting in general food service, pursuing culinary and nutrition education, and gradually moving into school nutrition with hands-on leadership, building relationships with farms and staff, and embracing opportunities to improve student meals.
iBites Podcast – S2E8 – Jeanne Reilly
Q: What does scratch cooking mean to students in one sentence?
Delicious real school food fuels students for learning and supports their social and academic development.
iBites Podcast – S2E8 – Jeanne Reilly
Q: What is one piece of advice for directors and kitchen staff starting scratch cooking?
Take baby steps—start with one recipe and achieve one success at a time to gradually build confidence and capability.
iBites Podcast – S2E8 – Jeanne Reilly
Q: What is your team's most popular scratch cooked dish with students?
Meatballs are the standout, versatile enough for subs and spaghetti, and they have driven adoption of other scratch dishes as students respond to fresh, in-house options.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About iBites Podcast

What is iBites Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, practitioner-focused show that spotlights school nutrition leadership, kitchen operations, and district-level foodservice innovations. Episodes frequently explore scratch cooking, local procurement, central kitchens, student engagement, and compliance with national standards, told through experiences from district directors, managers, and program leaders. Notable traits include hands-on leadership lessons, vendor and community partnerships, and a strong emphasis on staff development, mentorship, and hands-on culinary training. Fans likely include district nutrition directors, kitchen managers, and educators seeking scalable, real-world strategies for improving meal programs and student participation, with a preference for actio... more

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How many listeners does iBites Podcast get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers iBites Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to iBites Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with iBites Podcast:

1. The Farm to School Podcast

How many episodes of iBites Podcast are there?

iBites Podcast launched 9 years ago and published 13 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact iBites Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on iBites Podcast?

Recent guests on iBites Podcast include:

1. Jeanne Riley
2. Maria Patino
3. Rhiannon Mejia
4. Andrew Urbanetti
5. Lisa Strine
6. Caysie Serna
7. Stephen O'Brien
8. Rosalynn Ordonez

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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