How UMass Amherst is rethinking almonds in campus dining
May 7, 2026
How UMass Amherst is rethinking almonds in campus dining
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As a leader in campus dining, you’re always looking for ingredients that do more for your operation—more flexibility, more appeal, and more opportunity to innovate. Almonds might be a familiar staple, but a recent partnership with UMass Amherst Dining highlights just how much more promise they hold for college & university menus.
Throughout UMass Dining, the variety of almond forms (flour, butter, whole, sliced, chopped, and milk) helps unlock new applications across dayparts. From enhancing on-the-go snacks to adding texture, flavor, and functionality to classic comfort meals, almonds are far more versatile than many chefs realize. Whether you’re innovating or revising, almonds fit naturally into C&U menus, offering meaningful ways to enhance dishes without disrupting workflows.
As Christopher Howland, director of procurement, logistics & special projects at UMass Amherst, puts it, “It’s not just trail mix. Everyone knows almonds are in trail mix. The question is, how do you make it bigger than what people already know?”
By treating almonds as a true menu-building ingredient rather than a single-use add-on, UMass has been able to rethink where and how almonds show up across campus dining. Whether it’s a creamy vegan soup, a dairy-free smoothie, or a gluten free snack, UMass has found ways to use almonds to create craveable menu specials.
From a culinary standpoint, versatility and flavor impact are a big part of what make almonds so valuable.
“The benefits of almonds [are that] they’re tasty and the texture of them comes into play and really elevates any dish,” said Chef Alexander Ong, director of culinary excellence at UMass Amherst. That adaptability allows dining teams to experiment confidently across cuisines, special diets, and dayparts.
The LTO Toolkit developed by the Almond Board brings together menu concepts, culinary inspiration, promotional material, and templates that make it easier to translate ideas into action. For college & university teams looking to test limited-time offerings or bring fresh energy to existing menus, it’s a resource built with real-world operations in mind.
At a time when students are increasingly curious about functional foods and globally inspired flavors, almonds offer a way to meet those expectations while creating dining memories that will last a lifetime.
“I think that students are very receptive to the whole almond experience,” Chef Ong notes. “Over time, they’re going to become more and more familiar and see the versatility of almonds.”
According to an Almond Board of California survey conducted during Almond Day at UMass Amherst revealed that almonds are widely associated with good fats (74 percent), protein (63 percent), fiber (56 percent), and vitamins/minerals (60 percent). With 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per 1-ounce serving, almonds not only offer versatility, but positive nutrition benefits that students desire.
The collaboration between California Almonds and UMass Amherst shows that when operators are given the right inspiration and tools, discovering the untapped potential of almonds can be innovative, exciting, and achievable.