Nutritionists and dietitians from around the country are working to made kids’ school lunches healthier and more delicious.

The School Nutrition Association hosted its 73rd annual National Conference this week at the America’s Center Convention Complex in downtown St. Louis. The two-day convention allowed school nutrition professionals from around the country to sample food and recipes, test equipment and software, and share the best practices for meeting federal nutrition requirements.

RELATED: Collections Assistant Low Balance Notifications, Negative Balance Tracking, Automated E-mails, Letters, Reporting and Statistics

More than 350 companies set up booths and handed out samples on Monday and Tuesday. Chef and Registered Dietitian Brenda Wattles writes recipes for school lunches nationwide. She stresses the importance of creating meals catered to kids and teens with changing palates.

“We see kids’ pallets increasing. We see a trend in the rise of ethnic foods, they want to try a lot of different flavors,” she said.

During the convention, experts sampled meals like ramen bowls and Korean barbecue. They’ll then decide whether school children in their area would benefit from offering it on the school’s lunch menu.

Wattles said the focus is on incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into each meal. She hopes healthy meals like kale salad with chicken and black bean burgers will inspire children and teens to make nutritious meals a priority.

“Sometimes it takes them 10 times to try something before they eat it.” Said Wattles.

Experts said many of these options could come to school lunch menus across the country in the next year.