By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Produce Business magazine.   In mid-February I attended the Sacramento Business Journal Healthcare Leadership Forum where a panel of CEOs of major hospitals, insurance companies, and managed care organizations discussed the future of healthcare. Despite the uncertainty created by all the “repeal and repair/replace” talk

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Produce Business magazine.   As a consultant, I’ve been blessed with many wonderful clients and projects the past three years, but I recently worked on a project that made me a bit crazy.   The client wanted me to take recipes created by chefs and

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the February 2017 issue of Produce Business magazine.   In the 1990s, in the mind of the consumer, “healthy” meant low fat. In the early 2000s during the Atkins Diet craze, it meant low carb. While the FDA never issued regulations for low carb claims, both low fat and low

By Amy Myrdal Miller   NOTE: This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of magazine.   What innovations in produce can have significant impact for the foodservice industry? That’s a very fun and important question to address. We can look at innovations in plant breeding, value added processing, planting, sales strategy, even distribution.   When I was working

by Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the December 2016 issue of Produce Business magazine.   I was interviewed recently for an article on opportunities to use more fruits and vegetables in desserts in restaurants. Using more fruit is easy.  Using more vegetables is easier said than done.   First, we have to examine our expectations for

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the September 2016 issue of Produce Business magazine.   I love leafy green salads. My husband Scott and I eat them almost every evening during the spring, summer, and fall. Sometimes they are the star, an enticing entrée salad, and sometimes a simple side salad will play a supporting role.

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of Produce Business magazine.   I worked for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) for seven years planning and hosting conferences and leadership retreats for culinary and volume foodservice professionals. During that time (2007-2014) the only topic that seemed to get more attention than local sourcing

By Amy Myrdal Miller NOTE: This article originally appeared in the July 2016 issue of Produce Business magazine.   Fried chicken is one of the biggest trends in foodservice this year. Fried chicken? Really? Yes, it’s true. As beef consumption drops and pork consumption stays flat, our chicken intake just keeps increasing. Part of this is due to nutrition and