Summer Sunshine Award Winners!

From the USDA:

Posted by Sarah Stever, Program Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service, Western Region, on January 23, 2015 at 10:00 AM

On June 13, 2013, FNS staff participated in a Summer Food Service Program Kick-off event in Sacramento, CA.

It may be the middle of winter, but at USDA, we like to celebrate the success of our Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) all year long.  Therefore, the Western Regional Office is thrilled to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 2014 Summer Sunshine Awards.  A total of eight organizations across the region received Sunshine Awards in 4 unique categories in recognition of their standout efforts in operating the SFSP.  The programs impact in local communities depends on the hard work of state agencies, partnering organizations, local sites and sponsors.  These awards only begin to show our appreciation for the dedication, innovation, and passion behind the respective organizations.

In the category of Strategies to Promote Nutrition and Wellness, California’s Riverside Unified School District was awarded the honor for employing innovative strategies by collaborating with local partners to provide nutrition education and physical activities at summer meal sites. The Boys and Girls Club of Ada County in Idaho was also awarded the distinction for their incorporation of fresh local produce into summer meals and offering opportunities for physical activity to children at their summer meal sites.

Two deserving winners of the Reaching Rural and Underserved Communities award emphasize the importance of thinking outside the box to provide nutrition to more children in the summer time.  Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission of California expanded their summer meals program to seven rural communities by partnering with USDA’s Rural Development.  In Washington, Entiat Valley Community Services Food Bank was awarded the distinction for their innovative approach to opening sites in areas of high need, conducting massive media campaigns, and networking with various community partners to ensure meals were delivered to sites in rural areas.

In the category of Successful Community Partnerships, the Des Moines Area Food Bank of Washington was chosen as a recipient for their successful community partnerships resulting in a variety of physical activity and nutrition education workshops at summer meal sites.  An Above and Beyond Honorable Mention was awarded to Auburn Unified School District for expanding community partnerships and providing physical activity and nutrition education classes every day of the week at summer meal sites.

For Program Expansion in Local Communities, the award recipient was the Boys and Girls Club of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, for their efforts in expanding summer meal sites in the community by collaborating with local partners to make meals available for the children of Sequim and Port Angeles.  Nye County Unified School District of Nevada received an honorable mention for their innovative mobile feeding program using the school “mail” van to deliver meals and traveled with a local “book mobile” to increase summer reading and engage children while eating.

Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions and a huge thank you from all of us at FNS for the delicious meals and engaging programs you provide to children during the summer months.  We look forward to more successes and best practices from each and every Summer Sunshine awardee during summer 2015!



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USDA Foods Hatches New Chicken Product for Schools

From USDA:

Posted by Lindsay Walle, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Distribution Division, on January 21, 2015 at 10:00 AM

USDA’s new unseasoned chicken strip provides school chefs with versatile and healthy options.

School lunches have evolved since many of our childhood days to keep pace with new dietary guidelines and school meal patterns, but one food has been an enduring component: chicken.  The popular protein graces the center of the plate in a variety of forms and flavors, and the new USDA Foods unseasoned chicken strip provides school nutrition professionals with a versatile and healthy option to add to their recipes.  USDA develops new products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) based on feedback from states and school districts.  Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how chicken flies the coop from farms to a pilot program to cafeterias across the country.

Did you know that on any given day, USDA Foods comprise 15 to 20 percent of the value of food served on the lunch line, or that the School Year 2015 Foods Available List contains more than 200 options?  For more than 70 years, USDA has provided states with 100 percent American grown food for school lunches to support the dual mission of strengthening our nutrition safety net and supporting American agriculture.  The unseasoned, non-breaded chicken strip is just the latest contribution to a long history of providing nutritious foods for school meals.

The idea for the new product hatched when USDA staff heard from many states and school districts interested in a more versatile, lower sodium chicken option for their meal programs.  USDA Foods already offered the popular fajita chicken strips with seasoning, but schools expressed interest in a chicken strip without seasoning so school chefs could adapt it for multiple recipes.  The new product is perfect in salads, wraps, burritos, and stir fries, among other dishes.  While the lower sodium content and the easy-to-use “strips” assist schools in meeting new meal pattern requirements.

USDA asked states to volunteer for a pilot program to test out the new chicken strip.  Nine states representing all seven Food and Nutrition Service regions were selected to order the product and try it out during the fall of 2014.  USDA staff then surveyed participants to get their feedback on the chicken strip’s taste, texture, and ease of use in the kitchen.  Their input was overwhelmingly positive, and with a few tweaks, all states are able to order the product for schools to serve in spring 2015.

Are you a school nutrition or food service professional with ideas for new USDA Foods for the NSLP?  If so, USDA would love to hear from you!  You can send your comments to USDAFoods@fns.usda.gov.

To learn more about FNS nutrition assistance efforts, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usdanutrition.

Meet Your Wellness Goals in the New Year with the USDA DRI Calculator for Healthcare Professionals App

From USDA:

Posted by Food and Nutrition Information Center Staff, National Agricultural Library, on January 20, 2015 at 3:00 PM

New “USDA Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) Calculator for Healthcare Professionals” app allows users to keep track of nutrient calculations and recommendations based on the DRI values.

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

The USDA National Agricultural Library’s (NAL) Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) today launched its mobile application, or “app,” which calculates Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).  The “USDA Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) Calculator for Healthcare Professionals” app allows users to keep track of nutrient calculations and recommendations that are based on the DRI values in a more convenient and user-friendly format. Through this new app, healthcare professionals can save time in the nutrition care process for patients and clients, while having access to credible nutrition guidance.

The National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine first developed the DRIs in the mid-1990s. DRIs are recommended amounts of each nutrient a healthy person should consume to prevent deficiency or harmful health effects. Initially presented in tables, this information allows healthcare professionals to use the DRIs to assess and plan diets for groups or individuals. For example, if you are a female between 19 and 50, your registered dietitian or doctor may recommend that you increase your dairy consumption to meet the 1,000mg/day calcium recommendation outlined in the DRIs. The DRIs are also used in policy-making such as setting calorie and sodium guidelines for healthy school lunches.

In 2009, FNIC released the Interactive DRI for Healthcare Professionals tool on their website, which made using DRIs even easier. Instead of viewing multiple tables to determine recommendations for one patient, this Web tool offered dietitians, physicians, nurses and other practitioners an efficient way to assess and plan diets for clients and patients. By entering a person’s height, weight, age and activity level, users can receive calorie and nutrient recommendations, as well as body mass index (BMI). With the release of the app, information is even more accessible to the clinician on the go. Users also can save calculations and email the results to themselves, patients or clients.

The DRI app includes user-friendly features such as pregnancy weight gain charts, DRI glossary terms, bookmarking and note saving options. Bookmarking and note saving allow users to personalize the app and organize information for later reference.

Although the DRI recommendations are based on current scientific knowledge, they are not appropriate for everyone. Underlying illness and vitamin deficiencies are just two reasons why your nutrient needs might be different from the recommendations. To figure out your nutrient needs, talk with your healthcare provider or find a registered dietitian near you.

To download the DRI app, go to the iTunes or Google Play stores. This app is free and currently available for iPhones, iPads and Android devices. NAL is part of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and serves as an extensive resource for agricultural information. For more information on the DRIs or the DRI app, or to learn more about NAL services please visit the NAL website.

Culinary Boot Camps: Designed to Foster a Healthier Next Generation

From USDA:

Posted by Chris Kelly, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Mid-Atlantic Region, on January 15, 2015 at 1:00 PM

USDA Team Nutrition grants support initiatives designed to improve children’s lifelong eating habits.

The following guest blog is part of our Cafeteria Stories series, highlighting the efforts of hard working school nutrition professionals dedicated to making the healthy choice the easy choice at schools across the country.  We thank them for sharing their stories! To learn more about FNS nutrition assistance efforts, follow us on Twitter attwitter.com/usdanutrition

By Stewart Eidel, School and Community Nutrition Programs, Maryland State Department of Education

USDA Team Nutrition Grants support initiatives designed to improve children’s lifelong eating habits. Thanks to this funding, and by incorporating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and with recipes from the Food and Nutrition Service Team Nutrition website, Maryland’s State Department of Education School and Community Nutrition Programs, where I work, developed new training for our school food service professionals called “Culinary Boot Camps.”

We started the Culinary Boot Camps in the summer of 2013, training more than 130 school food service staff at six locations throughout Maryland. This past summer we hosted 140 more at five locations for the week-long course. With the help of two certified chefs, our staff have improved their basic culinary skills, learning ways to skillfully slice vegetables and creatively prepare recipes to lure otherwise finicky children into tasting and enjoying nutritious foods.

And the feedback has been outstanding. Our school food service staff enjoys the opportunity to learn from expert chefs, and our kids are seeing fresher looking foods, food that is bright in appearance, clear and crisp in flavor. I think the kids accept that food just as readily as they accept the chicken patty. Now we know the chicken patty is not going away, so what we’re saying is let’s incorporate these new foods required by the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act into our school menus. If we can incorporate those in addition to the items they’re used to, then over time children will learn to accept them and engage in the process of consuming a healthier diet.

Our job is all about nutrition, following standardized recipes and making sure food is safe. But these Culinary Boot Camps allow our food service professionals to think about the flavor and the color and the texture and the appearance of food. It gives them a great background to go to their bosses and say: “Well, I learned these skills…now there are recipes that you can allow us to put on the menu and enhance the quality of the foods for the kids.”

We saw a need to enhance a wide range of skills required to prepare and serve nutritious, high-quality meals that appeal to students. We want our school food service directors to plan menus utilizing more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes…more creative menus that take advantage of the healthier cooking methods and presentation skills honed at our Culinary Boot Camps.

See our school food service staff in action, transforming healthy foods into favorite foods at one of the camps we hosted in Worcester County, Md.

South Carolina Features Supreme Chicken Sandwich in School Lunch

From USDA:

Posted by Samantha Benjamin-Kirk, FNS Southeast Regional Office Farm to School Program Lead, on January 13, 2015 at 3:00 PM

According to Food Service Director, Todd Bedenbaugh, “since the cafeterias begun promoting Supreme Chicken, sales for this ‘local protein source’ have increased by 25 percent.”

It’s not surprising that chicken, the most popular meat for kids, is being served in school cafeterias across the nation.  However, in Columbia, S.C., locally sourced chicken has taken center stage on school meal trays in an effort to increase the state’s Farm to School programming.

South Carolina’s District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties Schools are piloting a poultry project to expand local products offered to students.  In partnership with Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, the school district is offering a variety of locally produced products to their students.

This particular Farm to School Program is made possible through the collaboration of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Department of Education, and Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute.

By Holly Godwin, South Carolina Farm to Institution Program Director

During the 2013-2014 academic school year, 20 District Five schools of Lexington and Richland Counties (South Carolina) participated in the Supreme Chicken project.  This included all 12 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools.

In compliance with USDA’s National School Lunch Program nutritional sodium and grain standards, the Supreme Chicken Pilot Program features three different locally sourced chicken sandwiches (grilled, spicy grilled, and whole wheat breaded) and chicken nuggets to students as a meal option. These menu items were vetted by students and are offered daily in the districts’ high schools and middle schools and monthly in the elementary schools.

A Supreme Chicken logo has been created and the sandwiches and nuggets are packaged in bags and boxes displaying the logo and advertising the options as local. The school cafeterias promote the chicken options with Supreme Chicken signage developed by the South Carolina Farm to School Program.

In total, 112,800 South Carolina produced chicken products were purchased through this pilot project. Of these, 18,720 were chicken nugget products and all others were chicken sandwiches. Numbers of products purchased by school varied greatly from a total of 360 products at one small elementary school to 36,200 from a larger high school within the district. This was expected, given the differences in student population numbers.

Students provided feedback on the Supreme Chicken Pilot Project through a short survey. Most of the students surveyed (81 percent) had tried the Supreme Chicken and just over half of them purchased it at least once each week. Additionally, 76 percent of students surveyed reported that they would be able to recognize the Supreme Chicken logo.  The success of this pilot project has sparked the attention of other school districts in South Carolina. The South Carolina Farm to School program is looking forward to expanding to additional school districts this coming year.

Six Reasons SuperTracker Is the Answer to Conquering New Year's Resolutions

From USDA:

Posted by Jessica Larson, MS, RD, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, on January 8, 2015 at 9:30 AM

Reach your health goals with SuperTracker.

If you are like millions of Americans, thinking about New Year’s Resolutions makes your hands sweat.  Don’t worry. USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has got you covered.

Whether you want to lose weight, get more calcium in your diet, or increase your activity, SuperTracker is here to help. With these six steps, you’ll be well on your way to making your New Year’s Resolution a reality!

1. You can create a FREE New Year’s Resolution plan that is right for you.

When it comes to making healthy changes, one size doesn’t fit all.  With SuperTracker’s My Plan, registered users can create a personalized diet and physical activity program to meet their needs.

SuperTracker offers a FREE personalized nutrition and activity plan.

2. You’ll get your own personal cheering squad!

We don’t want you out in the field on your own. That’s why SuperTracker offers a Coach Center – to keep you on track to better health.  SuperTracker will send you tips to reach your goals and a giant pat on the back with every milestone you reach.

SuperTracker’s Coach Center is here to cheer you on.

3. You can log your food AND your activity with one program!

Think of SuperTracker as your one stop health shop. You can track what you eat with Food Tracker and how much you move with Physical Activity Tracker. See how your daily choices stack up to meet your goals.

Track your activity with SuperTracker.

4. You can compare and contrast foods on the go!

Rushing through the grocery store to pick up something healthy for dinner? SuperTracker’s Food-A-Pedia is here to lighten the load and the calories.  Compare foods side by side and choose the foods that are right for you.

Use SuperTracker’s Food-A-Pedia to make healthy decisions on the go.

5. Yep, there’s a graph for that.

Show off your success with SuperTracker’s fancy graphs and charts.  Make your coworkers jealous when they see how many fruits and veggies you are eating.

Track your success with SuperTracker’s My Reports.

6. One tool for the whole family – almost…

You can create multiple profiles within one account to keep the whole family on track. SuperTracker is a plan for the whole clan! Well, almost – Fluffy the cat might need to find his own fancy health tool.

SuperTracker profiles can be created for (almost) every family member.

USDA Blog » Initial Launch of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success Training Program

Posted by Dr. Janey Thornton, Deputy Undersecretary for the USDA Food Nutrition and Consumer Services, on December 22, 2014 at 2:13 PM

Feeding students healthy, tasty and nutritious school meals can be a challenge.  Just ask any one of the thousands of school nutrition professionals who carry out the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.  They have to balance menu planning following nutrition standards, financial management, and inventory management, all while making meals that will be enjoyed by students – not always an easy audience.  It is a testament to their dedication that over 90 percent of America’s schools have now implemented the improved standards found in the Healthy Hungry Free Kids Act of 2010.

USDA is working hard to find ways to continue to support their efforts. One way we are doing that is a new program that we recently piloted in Mississippi that provides free training through a partnership with the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI). The Team Up For School Nutrition Success Training (Team Up) is tailored to schools and covers topics like menu planning, financial management, procurement, meal presentation and appeal, as well as youth engagement tactics, and strategies to reduce plate waste.  

USDA Blog » Initial Launch of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success Training Program

Secretary's Column: 2014, a Year of Action, Partnership and Innovation at USDA

From USDA:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on December 22, 2014 at 12:00 PM

This has been a tremendous year for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the rural families and communities we serve. Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden recently shared a reflection on her most inspirational moments this year. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished at USDA over the course of this year, and I thought I’d take a moment to share just a few of our top accomplishments.

1. Led what was widely called “the most successful Farm Bill implementation.”
   

   Farm Bill graphic.
   After the passage of the Farm Bill early this year, USDA pressed ahead at full speed to implement its programs and provisions, which have benefited America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. You can track our progress at www.usda.gov/farmbill.
2. Helped 146,000 rural Americans become first-time home buyers.
   

   Family behind a house.
   USDA has helped thousands of rural Americans achieve the dream of home ownership, and helped countless more make critical repairs and upgrades to their homes. Learn more at www.rurdev.usda.gov.
3. Achieved a record $152.5 billion in farm and ranch exports that supported 1 million jobs here at home.
   

   A ship at dock.
   America’s farmers and ranchers achieved record exports yet again this year, supported by Administration programs focused on opening markets abroad and connecting potential exporters here at home with the resources they need to get into the business of exporting. This year, we also launched the Made in Rural America initiative, an effort to help rural businesses export non-farm products made in rural communities.
4. Launched new initiatives that take public-private partnership to the next level in rural America.
    
   

   A man with a NRCS employee.
   Over the course of 2014, USDA launched several new initiatives, including the $10 billion Rural Infrastructure Opportunity fund, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and the $150 million Rural Business Investment Company, that leverage funding from private sector investors to build on USDA’s own investments in conservation, infrastructure, and small businesses, and expand opportunity in rural communities. Learn more at www.usda.gov/opportunity.
5. Served more than 187 million summer meals to low-income kids, an increase of more than 14 percent since 2009.
   

   A smiling girl with orange glasses at lunch.
   During the summer months, USDA’s summer meals help make sure that kids get the nutrition they need even when school is not in session. With strong support from local partners, we’ve reached a record number of kids and ensured that they begin the next school year healthy and ready to learn. Learn more at www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp.
6. Filed 109 patent applications for innovative products and techniques developed by USDA researchers.
   

   Secretary Vilsack looking into a microscope.
   Groundbreaking research conducted by USDA scientists ends up on your plate, in your home and as the clothes on your back. Their discoveries in the lab translate into science you can see. And thanks to the new Farm Bill, USDA was able to establish the new Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, which will leverage public and private resources to further boost agricultural research. For more stories on how USDA research impacts your everyday life, visit blogs.usda.gov/category/science.

The list above is just a small snapshot—after all, it’s hard to choose just a few success stories from a year where we moved more than $4.3 billion in critical disaster assistance to thousands of producers; answered nearly 1.3 million questions to help consumers stay food safe; made 340 investments in local food infrastructure and launched a series of new web directories designed to connect consumers with farmers markets, on-farm markets, CSAs and food hubs; provided more than 3,500 microloans to help beginning and veteran farmers grow their businesses; and lessened the threat of wildfires to communities by treating 1.7 million acres of forest land. This has truly been a year of action, partnership and innovation at USDA, and I know that as we look ahead to 2015, USDA will continue to focus on making a positive impact in rural communities.

You're Never Too Old to Play With Your Food

From USDA:

Posted by Jessica Larson, MS, RD (Nutritionist, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion), on December 18, 2014 at 12:00 PM

MyPlate offers easy ideas for making healthy foods festive and fun.

Who doesn’t want to have a little fun with their food? Especially if you have a picky eater at home, try adding a creative flair to the plate to boost a healthy meal’s fun factor. Our team of nutritionists has been having fun using cookie cutters to come up with creative, healthy ideas, but there are lots of easy ways to make healthy choices more appealing.

Earlier this week we shared a blog about making a snowman from all 5 of the MyPlate food groups. Below are some additional ideas. Have fun!

• Try using cookie cutters to make a two-toned sandwich, like the mitten sandwich above. This also helps teach kids about making at least half their grains whole grains.
• Serve foods in seasonal colors. For Valentine’s Day, play up red fruits and vegetables, for St. Patrick’s Day- all green, for the 4^th of July- red, white, and blue.
• Create a “new” dish with your child and name it for him or her. Make a big deal of serving “Dawn’s Spectacular Salad” or “Peter’s ‘Pan-tastic’ Sweet Potatoes” for dinner.
• Use seasonal placemats and napkins to make the meal more festive.
• Create faces on the plate. For example, create a potato person by decorating half a baked potato with sliced cherry tomatoes, peas, and low-fat cheese to make a funny face.
• Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes out of low-fat cheese and whole-grain bread. Pair with fruits and veggies for a MyPlate snack plate. (See image below)

And, importantly, be a healthy role model! Let kids see you enjoying healthy foods and they’ll be excited to try them, too.

Stay connected with MyPlate for healthy food inspiration year round:

• ChooseMyPlate.gov
• MyPlate Facebook page
• @MyPlate Twitter
• Sign up for MyPlate email updates
  

  Try using cookie cutters to add a fun, seasonal theme to healthy choices.

Winter Food Fun for Kids of All Ages

From USDA:

Posted by Sasha Bard, MS, RD (Nutritionist, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion), on December 16, 2014 at 3:00 PM

You’re never too old to play with your food! This winter, while the kids are home from school and family and friends gather together, you can experiment with ways to make healthy foods festive and fun. This blog shows how we created a snowy scene using foods from all five of the MyPlate food groups.

We will continue to share ideas throughout the season on the MyPlate Facebook page, @MyPlate Twitter, and ChooseMyPlate.gov, and we want you to join in the fun. Get creative in the kitchen and find ways to make healthy foods the main attraction at your winter celebrations!

MyPlate Snowman Scene

Before getting started, be sure to wash your hands.

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 1.

Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients and supplies. You’ll need whole-grain bread, peanut butter, a banana, raisins, a carrot, pretzel sticks, low-fat cheese slices (a white cheese will work best), your favorite green vegetable (we used a bell pepper), and edible snow (we chose air-popped popcorn, but a light colored cereal would work as well). Be creative and use what you already have on hand.

You’ll also need the following supplies: butter knife, snowman cookie cutter, cutting board, and a small snowflake cookie cutter.

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 2.

Step 2: Make a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Use the snowman cookie cutter to create your main character. (Tip: Don’t waste the crusts! Enjoy the non-snowman parts of the sandwich now as a snack or save for later.)

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 3.

Step 3: Make the snowflakes. (Tip: If you don’t have a small snowflake cookie cutter, you can use a plain circle and create snowballs instead! Cheese leftovers from the cutouts can be enjoyed as a snack now or refrigerated for later.)

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 4.

Step 4: Now it’s time to create your scene! Relocate your snowman to a plate (a plate in a solid color works best) and give him a face, hat, buttons, and arms. If it’s cold outside, he may need a scarf too.

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 5.

Step 5: Cover the ground in “snow” and plant trees. (If you don’t have a bell pepper, use another green fruit or vegetable such as snow peas or kiwi.)

Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 6.

Step 6: Let it snow! Add cheese snowflakes or snowballs to complete the scene on your plate. Add seasonal tableware and napkins to complete the scene on your table.

Step 7: Any finishing touches? Have fun and make it your own. Orange and yellow low-fat cheese can be used to add stars or a sun to the sky. Plant extra trees or build a house. Then eat and enjoy!

Check the MyPlate Facebook page throughout December for additional Winter Food Fun ideas. We’ll also be posting them to ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Green Thumbs near Green Bay: Menominee Tribe Cultivates Nutrition Education

From USDA:

Posted by Lindsay Walle, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Distribution Division, on December 5, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Participants in the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s monthly cooking class sample the new recipes they learned to prepare, cereal treats with wheat bran flakes and zippy zucchini salad. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

Cooking knowledge, proper planning, and access to healthy foods are essential ingredients to healthy diets.  I witnessed this firsthand when I traveled to the food distribution center of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, one of the 20 Indian Tribal Organizations that received funding in 2014 from USDA’s Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) grants.  Their programs offer cooking classes, recipes, nutrition education and resources for Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) participants as well as manage a community garden program which provides fresh fruits and vegetables for tribal members.

Creativity and partnerships allow the Menominee’s innovative educational activities to serve as a shining example of best practices.  A monthly cooking class combines instruction about basic cooking and food safety with interactive games and hands-on recipe preparation.  The class is a joint venture among FDPIR, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Community Resources Center, and the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

The day my colleagues and I visited, the lesson theme focused on eating away from home.  Attendees shared reasons they eat out, such as celebrations, convenience, or camaraderie.  A scenario game prompted participants to consider how the interrelated factors of time, money, nutritional value, and social pressure influence their decision-making.  After brainstorming strategies to better manage and plan ahead for everyday challenges, the class transitioned to the kitchen area to learn how to prepare zippy zucchini salad and cereal treats with wheat bran flakes.

Gardening is very popular among the Menominee.  The food distribution center maintains a community garden as well as raised beds that provide fresh produce – from bok choy to snow peas – to clients.  The tribe also seeks to bring gardening home to its members.  Using FDPNE grant funds, staff members have the resources available to rototill plots of land, distribute seeds and gardening tools, and build raised planting beds for the elderly and those with disabilities.

Canning classes go beyond traditional jams and jellies.  These classes enable participants to enjoy local produce, such as apples and tomatoes, year-round.  Everyone goes home not only with new skills and ideas but also with a portion of the session’s products.

In addition to the cooking and canning classes, nutrition educators conduct monthly tastings and present “learn while you wait” visuals to clients coming in to pick up their FDPIR food packages.  Resource management, making ends meet, and the tendency to think one day at a time rather than long-term are struggles Jennifer Gauthier of UW-Extension witnesses with her clients.  By providing strategies to eat both affordably and healthily, the Menominee’s nutrition education programs are making a difference, one household at a time.

An attendee of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s cooking class prepares a zippy zucchini salad recipe using zucchini from the garden at the food distribution center. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

How Research Shapes Vital Nutrition Programs

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Melissa Abelev, (Acting) Assistant Deputy Administrator for Policy Support, on April 25, 2014 at 4:00 PM

Nutritional research is key to helping millions of Americans achieve healthier lifestyles.

During the month of April we will take a closer look at USDA’s Groundbreaking Research for a Revitalized Rural America, highlighting ways USDA researchers are improving the lives of Americans in ways you might never imagine, such as using research to inform policy decisions about our nutrition assistance programs, which reach 1 in 4 Americans.

America’s nutrition safety net has a broad reach.  SNAP serves millions of hardworking American families, WIC benefits about half of the nation’s infants each year, and the National School Lunch Program touches the lives of about 31 million children every school day, including 21 million low-income children.  Because these and other Federal nutrition assistance programs are a critical resource for families seeking a healthy diet with limited resources, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service knows the importance of shaping them with evidence gathered from rigorous research.

Several flagship studies illustrate how FNS uses research to build the knowledge base about our programs and make continuous improvements to meet the highest nutrition standards:

• The School Nutrition and Dietary Assessment (SNDA) series goes into schools every five years to determine how well school meals are meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  We use rigorous, validated measures, including 24-hour dietary recalls and menu nutrient analyses, on a nationally-representative sample of schools to build our knowledge base and analyze the nutritional quality of schools meals.  Information from these studies helps FNS shape the technical assistance we provide to states and school districts to ensure their meals meet the highest dietary standards.  The fifth SNDA study will begin data collection in schools next school year and will provide FNS with a detailed picture of how well schools are meeting updated meal patterns required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

• Our partnership with the Institute of Medicine ensures that the food packages prescribed in WIC reflect the state of the science for nutrition standards.  The latest IOM recommendations form the basis for recently-finalized standards that ensure that nearly 8.6 million women, infants, and children receive supplemental foods each day that directly address their health needs.  And we are already launching the next review to keep the packages up-to-date.

• Because the WIC packages are designed in part to support breastfeeding – the medically-preferred feeding practice for most infants – FNS launched a study to determine the impact of the packages on that outcome.  The findings helped inform nutrition education efforts that align with the food packages to increase breastfeeding rates.  And we are currently conducting a nationally-representative study of WIC nutrition education.  This will help identify aspects of the program where we could focus additional resources or technical assistance, as well as highlight opportunities for information sharing among states or regions.

• We are also seeking innovative approaches to help SNAP participants make healthy choices.  The Healthy Incentives Pilot tested the effect of incentives at the point of sale to encourage fruit and vegetable purchases and increase consumption of these healthful foods.  Initial findings found that such incentives increased consumption by about 25 percent.

• A study we conducted on the effect of SNAP participation looked at SNAP’s role in helping families cope with food insecurity. We found that those who received SNAP for six months reported significantly lower rates of food insecurity.  These results were true for households with and without children, and for households in both rural and urban areas, highlighting SNAP’s broad effectiveness. Through research, we were able to confirm that SNAP is working to reduce food insecurity.

These are just a few of the many studies FNS conducts to build the knowledge base to inform and shape these vital programs.  Research is essential in achieving FNS’ goals of reducing childhood hunger and improving nutrition in programs with high integrity every day.  After all, if a healthier next generation is our aim, knowledge is an important part of that path.

Local Combines with American Grown

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Christina Conell, USDA Farm to School Program, on April 16, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Quickly assembling tortilla wraps for hungry students is a hard job. I learned this first hand recently at Stone Spring Elementary in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Mary Lou, Ott and Jean, the cafeteria staff responsible for preparing and serving school meals every day, took control of the kitchen, quickly assembling 300 turkey wraps while I clumsily tried to keep up.

But while I found the prep work to be challenging, I learned that products from USDA, such as the lean turkey in the wraps, make it easier for schools to buy local foods. USDA purchases over $1 billion of food from American farmers for school meal programs every year. Known as USDA Foods, these American grown products include fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, lean meats and poultry.

Because USDA buys these products for thousands of school districts at a time, we’re able to secure very competitive prices and make them available to schools at considerably better prices than what they might otherwise pay. Schools that get items from USDA Foods that would have cost much more on the open market, like low-fat cheese and meats, can use the cost savings to allocate more of their school food budget toward local purchases. The turkey wraps we made that day are a perfect example. We combined USDA Foods lower sodium cheese, turkey, and whole wheat tortillas with local, hydroponic Bibb lettuce from a grower just 10 miles from the school!

After prepping wraps for the elementary school I headed off to lunch at a local high school with Andrea Early, School Nutrition Director at Harrisonburg City Public Schools. I chose a salad, tomato soup, hummus, and a delicious, warm, fluffy roll with just a touch of sweetness. The roll was made from scratch that morning, using a combination of USDA Foods enriched flour and whole-wheat flour from Wade’s Mill, a mill about 50 miles away that has been churning out flour since the 1800’s.

Andrea stressed, “Maximizing my use of USDA Foods allows me to pay a bit more for local products. The products from USDA are a wonderful complement to our local buying.”

She makes it look easy. For more ideas about how schools can use USDA Foods to meet local purchasing goals and how the Department is fostering a healthier next generation, check out USDA Foods: A Resource for Buying Local.

To receive information and updates about USDA’s Farm to School Program, please sign up for our Farm to School E-letter.

A healthy meal choice of Baja Fish Taco Wraps at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia for lunch service on Wednesday, October 19, 2011. The wraps are available through the National School Lunch Program. The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service operating in public, nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

Secretary's Column: USDA Science You Can See

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on April 4, 2014 at 12:00 PM

While most people have a mental image of research that involves scientists in lab coats, bubbling test tubes and beakers, and technical language that can seem complex, much of the groundbreaking research conducted by USDA scientists actually ends up on your plate, in your home, or on your back. Their discoveries in the lab truly translate into science you can see.

For example, many of us make a conscious effort to eat healthier and cut calories, but it can be tough when faced with a favorite snack, like French fries. USDA scientists have figured out a way to make French fries healthier. Before frying, scientists exposed potato strips to a few minutes of infrared heat. This forms a crispy outer shell on the outside of the fries, which helps to reduce their oil uptake and ultimately reduces calories per serving. If adopted commercially, this method is great news for both food processors and our waistlines.

Or maybe you’re a healthy snack lover and looking for a way to make your snacks pack an even healthier punch. USDA scientists have found a way to add oat fiber to yogurt without affecting its flavor or texture. Yogurt is already a pretty healthy snack, and adding addition fiber can only help—studies have indicated that oat fiber can help to improve heart health.

If you are lactose-intolerant, you may use Lactaid™ so you can still enjoy dairy products. USDA scientists helped to develop the basis for that product, too. USDA scientists also conducted the core research behind ChoiceBatter, a gluten-free rice flour batter that is now being marketed and sold by CrispTek, LLC.

For those who’ve ever woken up late before a big work meeting, USDA scientists have got your back here, too. They helped to develop cotton fabric that is wrinkle-free and fire-resistant.

If you’re a cat person, you may someday see USDA science impact your pet. USDA scientists have developed a kitty litter product that’s nearly 100 percent biodegradable and made from spent grains, often referred to as dried distiller’s grains (DDGs), leftover from the process of making corn ethanol. DDGs are often used as cattle feed, but this new product may provide a higher-value market for the tons of DDGs leftover after ethanol production.

And, to the delight of farmers and people with noses everywhere, USDA scientists are part of a team of researchers investigating ways to combat the brown marmorated stink bug, which in addition to having a distinct odor, can also cause serious damage to valuable agricultural crops.

These are just some of the ways that research conducted by USDA scientists and our partner research institutions touch your daily life. Beyond that, agricultural research also helps to boost the economy. Studies have shown that every dollar invested in agricultural research returns $20 to the economy. In the past five years alone, research by USDA scientists has led to award of 215 patents covering a wide range of topics and discoveries. One of our research agencies, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), currently has 380 active licenses of ARS-developed technology that are supporting new businesses and job opportunities across the country.

The recently-signed 2014 Farm Bill will help to build on these accomplishments by establishing a new research foundation that leverages private sector funding to support groundbreaking agricultural research. You can follow our progress in implementing the new farm bill and establishing the research foundation at www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Thanks to the new Farm Bill, we can continue the vital research and innovation that have enhanced food safety and nutrition, made farming and ranching more efficient, and improved quality of life for millions of people in the United States and around the world.

Coming Together to Improve Human Nutrition

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Isabel Walls, Senior Advisor, Food Safety, Nutrition and Health, on April 1, 2014 at 3:00 PM

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

During the month of April we will take a closer look at USDA’s Groundbreaking Research for a Revitalized Rural America, highlighting ways USDA researchers are improving the lives of Americans in ways you might never imagine. For example, USDA research into behavioral economics as part of nutrition research to improve diet and health.

We’ve heard it all before: you are what you eat.  We’re fueled by what we consume, so it’s important to provide our bodies with nutritious food.  That’s why the agencies within USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area brought together some of the brightest minds at the Federal Government Nutrition Research Workshop last month. USDA Scientists joined forces with scientists and policy makers from other USDA agencies, Health and Human Services agencies, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Agency for International Development to discuss the importance of nutrition research.

Despite the snowy weather, Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for REE Cathie Woteki kicked off the conference of eager participants.  Through a series of short talks and discussion, the group shared information on key topics affecting the diet and health of Americans.

A major emphasis is to investigate how Federal dietary guidelines can promote health, and reduce the risk of chronic disease and obesity. REE research is using cutting edge techniques to study this challenge. The research findings will help us understand individual responses to nutrition, for example, why some people lose weight faster than others on the same diet.  This will help develop new education strategies for improving diet and health.

Good eating habits are challenging for most of us.  So, the meeting participants paid close attention to the role of behavioral economic strategies in improving consumer choices for healthy foods.  And for young people, the decision may be even more difficult.  For example, how do we encourage children to choose healthy lunch options rather than eating candy from a snack machine?  Our research suggests that making healthier foods more visible and accessible to kids, having shorter lines/faster service for healthier choices and giving catchy names like “Rockin Broccoli” can all help encourage kids to eat more healthy foods.

Interagency working groups will continue the discussions started at the conference and improve collaborations among US Government Scientists.  “It was a wonderful opportunity to exchange information and plan for future collaboration,” noted Cheryl Jackson Lewis from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.

MyPlate on Rutgers Campus

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Jackie Haven, MS, RD, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, on March 31, 2014 at 3:00 PM

The RU Healthy Dining Team hosted a MyPlate nutrition education booth earlier this year. (Jenna Deinzer, Alexa Essenfeld, Nathalie Corres, Jesse Tannehill, Lindsay Yoakam, Rebecca Tonnessen, Taylor Palm, Mary Tursi, and Miranda Schlitt.)

The MyPlate On Campus initiative, USDA’s effort to promote healthy eating on college campuses nationwide through peer-to-peer education, launched 1 year ago. In that time, nearly 2,000 students, representing all 50 states, have joined the cause by becoming MyPlate On Campus Ambassadors. It has been exciting to watch it grow and see the creative ways that students are bringing nutrition education to life on their campus. Read below about how one group of passionate students is helping to spread the MyPlate message:

By Rebecca Tonnessen and Alex Essenfeld, MyPlate On Campus Ambassadors at Rutgers University, New Jersey

As nutrition students at Rutgers University, we are all excited and passionate about being MyPlate On Campus Ambassadors. Working with dining services and the nutrition department in a joint effort to educate our peers, the RU Healthy Dining team strives to educate the Rutgers community through nutritional booths, newsletters, and outreach programs. As MyPlate Ambassadors and nutrition leaders, we integrate MyPlate into our activities. Our newsletters incorporate MyPlate tips and are distributed to our student body in the dining halls.

Excited Rutgers student, Rebecca Bissessar, enjoying her prizes after participating in our MyPlate game!

Our recent nutrition education booth focused on MyPlate. Educational materials were made available to the students, including MyPlate tip sheets, a life size MyPlate plate, and our own newsletters. We displayed a poster that featured healthy dining hall eating tips provided by MyPlate’s 10 tips for eating healthy in the dining hall resource. Students coming in and out of the dining halls came up to the booth to participate in our featured game: MyPlate Match up. Students had to flip over MyPlate cards until they found a matching food group. We then tested the participant’s nutritional knowledge by asking the player two questions about that particular food group. We all had a great time sharing and learning nutrition information with our peers. Everyone was excited about the prizes, which were MyPlate erasers.

A challenging aspect of being a MyPlate On Campus Ambassador is getting students involved and excited about nutrition. To overcome this, we have found that social media sites are great tools to communicate and educate. We interact with our students through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WordPress. We hold contests to encourage students to interact with us and eat healthier. Recently we held “Promotion Commotion” in which the more times a student interacted with one of our social media sites the more likely they were to win a prize. Students asked questions and took pictures of their healthy dining hall meals and either tagged us in the pictures or used the hashtag #ruhdt. The lucky winners received Rutgers swag bags filled with nutritious snacks. The enthusiasm of the students who participated in our contest really makes what we do a fulfilling experience.

We plan to continue using MyPlate and incorporate it into our events, newsletters, and social media sites in more creative ways in our efforts to get our students excited about nutrition. Like us on Facebook page (RU Healthy Dining Team) and follow our Twitter (@RUHDT) and Instagram (@ru_hdt) accounts to stay up-to-date on our MyPlate Ambassador adventures!

The RU Healthy Dining Team hosted a MyPlate nutrition education booth earlier this year.