Articles in the May 2007 Issue

A Note from Sandra:

“Appreciation is like an insurance policy – you have to keep renewing it.”

The calendar has once again found its way to May. This is the month we set aside a time to thank people for the work they do caring for the nutritional needs of children in school, alternative schools, child care, and summer programs. Thanks, also, for your work with us when we ask questions, give you new forms, new rules, and send you surveys. I know that most child nutrition employees meet more than the nutritional needs of the children – you are also serving TLC with those meals and I know the children appreciate that. You can make such a difference in their lives by that smile and “I care” attitude.

            Some people know the way
            To make each day seem more worthwhile,
            They do the nicest things for you
            And always wear a smile,
            They make this world a better place
            By practicing the art
            Of reaching out to others
            And by giving from the heart.

                                                       ~ Amanda Bradley

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Commodities Making Healthy Improvements

Commodities are changing in order to provide you with healthier choices in keeping with their goal to bring all commodities in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).

  • Increasing Whole Grains:
    USDA is planning to offer brown rice and a quick-cook brown rice in the upcoming school year. This rice cooks in just under 20 minutes. Also available will be whole grain spaghetti, rotini, and macaroni as test purchases.


  • Lowering Fat:
    USDA is working to eliminate trans fat from the frozen potato products. Trans fat levels in all commodities is being reviewed and will be added to all commodity labels. In addition, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has made the decision to eliminate all forms of shortening (both hard and liquid forms) from the commodity foods availability list. Vegetable oil will continue to be available to schools for use in cooking and food preparation.

    This change will be effective beginning October 2007 for TEFAP and FDPIR, and January 2008 for SCHOOLS. This will allow time for USDA to distribute shortening that may be available in the multi-food warehouse.


  • Lowering Sugar:
    Added sugar has been removed from commodity applesauce. It will only be offered as unsweetened. All commodity canned fruits continue to be packed in juice and/or water, or light syrup.


  • Lowering Sodium:
    Most commodity canned vegetables meet the Food and Drug Administration’s “healthy” standard for sodium, which is less than or equal to 480 mg per serving. USDA is looking to lower the sodium content in commodity canned vegetables even more.

FNS will continue to review all commodities to determine where other changes may be necessary.
 

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Make new friends and learn new skills at Certification Institute June 24-29th

This year’s event promises to be a great educational experience with some fun activities. The keynote speaker for the banquet will be Stan Garnett, Director of the Child Nutrition Division of the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. It is an honor to have him come to South Dakota for Certification Institute and we will very likely gain a few pearls of wisdom as to where the USDA is headed with new rules, regulations and programs. Stan has had an interesting background as he worked his way up to Director of the program. You can read about Stan at the National Food Service Management Institute’s website http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/nfsmi/Archives/oral_history/garnett.htm. 

Remember to write down recipes and strategies that have worked at your school or center to get kids to eat fruits and vegetables including dried beans (such as kidney beans, split peas, soy beans, and garbanzo beans). When we receive your strategies, tips and recipes, we will put your name in a drawing for a Fruits and Veggies—More Matters apron (each time you submit an idea that has worked at your site). (We have 10 aprons, so your odds of winning are good!) Winners will be announced at Certification Institute.

This year, the advanced computer track is called Practical Computer Skills. The paper registration form that was mailed to agencies calls it Advanced Computers while the online form calls it Practical Computer Skills. It is one in the same. There was not much demand for the Advanced Computer class in prior years and so we changed the content to include computer skills that are very specific to the work you do in child nutrition programs. You do not have to take Intro to Computers before taking Practical Computer Skills, but it is recommended. Before taking practical computer skills you should have keyboard and mouse skills, know how to open, close and save files and know how to cut, copy and paste on the computer. There will be a two-hour free class on Sunday afternoon that teaches the very beginning computer skills just mentioned and it should be taken by anyone planning to take Practical Computer skills who is not familiar with computers. This class called Intro to Computers may be signed up for when you register for Certification Institute.

If you haven’t signed up yet for Certification Institute, there is still room in all of the tracks. Final registration deadline is May 11, 2007.

Bring your smile, your ideas, your athletic shoes (for playing volleyball, tennis and the scavenger hunt) and bring an open mind to learn new ideas and you will be glad you came—you will have fun, make new friends and most importantly learn new skills and knowledge to help you in your work. See you soon!

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Fall Conference
July 31 – August 3, 2007

Plans have been put together for the annual School Nutrition Association of South Dakota fall conference. Authorized Representatives and School Food Service Directors should be watching for the registration form and conference details to be arriving in your school mail box soon. The same information is also available on CANS website http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/docs/fc/Fall%20Conf%20Letter%20to%20SFAs%202507.pdf.

Be sure to take advantage of the early bird registration which is due by June 29th.

This year’s conference will be held in Watertown at the Watertown Event Center and the Best Western Ramkota Hotel. Pre-conference classes will begin on Tuesday July 31st and conclude Wednesday morning August 1st. Pre-conference classes will include “The New Healthy Edge”, “ServSafe”, “ServSafe Recertification”, “Financial Management Information System”, “Developing a Food Safety Plan”, and “Writing Your Standard Operating Procedures”. Also on Wednesday morning will be the Industry Seminar session. The conference first general session will begin Wednesday afternoon followed by a fun evening at the Redlin Art Center. Thursday will be the day to view new school food products at vendor’s booths. Thursday afternoon will offer many educational and training breakout sessions followed by an evening banquet. The conference will conclude about noon on Friday August 3rd.

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Writing a Food Safety Program Training Workshop

Mark your calendars! Those of you who want basic training on Developing and Implementing a Food Safety Program should plan to attend the pre-conference class during the annual School Nutrition Association of South Dakota fall conference. Details will be arriving in your school mail box soon. Also, a pre-conference class will be held on writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). If you want four, uninterrupted hours to work JUST on SOPs—make sure you register for this class.
 

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Fresh Produce Ordering System Changing

Currently TAP-IT is being used to order fresh produce. Starting in the 2007-2008 School year that program will change to the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Ordering and Receipt System (FFAVORS). Any school currently using TAP-IT will be transferred to the new system, which is just as easy to use.

Three highlights of FFAVORS are:

  • It lists actual market prices versus estimated prices. Schools are billed at the price they see at the time they order.
  • Schools will not be able to place orders that exceed their available entitlement balance.
  • After delivery, the school will go back into the FFAVORS Web system to enter a receipt of items received. The vendor’s invoice must match this receipt before a bill can be generated.

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Nutrition Notes

A lot is happening in the child nutrition arena these days. Students, teachers, and administrators as well as community members, are becoming more aware of nutrition issues as schools have implemented their wellness policies. This is the end of the first year of the wellness policy, so it’s time to evaluate and determine how much progress you have made toward meeting the goals. There will be some leaps and some baby steps – as long as you are moving forward, that’s progress!

According to the School Nutrition Association website: “Since January 1, 2007, 15 school nutrition related bills have been introduced in the 110th Congress, with 10 bills introduced in the House of Representatives and 6 bills introduced in the Senate. The legislation covers a variety of issues, ranging from school lunch and breakfast expansion, rules governing competitive foods, increasing fruit and vegetable program participation, and anti-childhood obesity efforts.”

The Institute of Medicine has released its report on Food Sold in Schools. You can read about it at http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3788/30181/42502.aspx. If you click on "read and purchase" you have the option to buy it or read it on line free.

Child & Adult Nutrition Services submitted a proposal for a Team Nutrition grant. We will hear in mid to late summer if we receive the grant. There are some exciting activities in there – stay tuned.

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Preschool Meals and School Meal Programs

Question: Can meals served to pre-kindergarten or pre-school children be claimed for School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs?

Answer: Yes. Meals served to children enrolled in preschool can be claimed for reimbursement. Federal regulation allows these meals to be claimed as long as the children are enrolled in an education program. It does not matter if the preschool is operated by the school or by another agency, as long as the preschool is in a building owned or operated by the school.

That means a Head Start organization might have a classroom in your school building. Typically, the Head Start contracts with the school to serve the meals, pays the school for those meals, and the Head Start claims the meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. That is acceptable, but it is also acceptable, and maybe easier, for the school to claim the meals for reimbursement. Either way is fine, as long as both agencies are not claiming the same meals for reimbursement.

Preschool children may also be eligible for the snack after school if they are in school and have qualifying activities after the end of the school day. This does not apply to childcare or day care that is operating in a school or school building.

The school should follow the meal pattern for the appropriate age group for these younger children. It is also possible to serve the meal at two different times. For example, maybe the fruit and bread are served at 10 a.m. and the meat, milk, and vegetable are served at 11:30. That may help children with smaller appetites eat better as there is not so much food all at one time. If you are interested in that option, contact a Child & Adult Nutrition Services staff member for assistance

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Off-Site Meal Requests

The end of the school year is a popular time for teachers to plan field trips. Did you know that if the field trip is going to be an educational event and happen over a meal period, you can claim those meals? NSLP Memo #26.1 has the Off-Site Meal Request form that should be completed and sent into CANS at least one week prior to the event. The form can serve as a tool for the food service department to help teachers realize the kitchen needs planning time. CANS needs to have time to review the submitted menu to be sure it meets requirements to be a reimbursable meal that will be handled at proper food safety temperatures. The form will be faxed back to the school granting approval of the off-site meal request.

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Building for the Future with the CACFP

CACFP Basics

Medical Statements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimburses centers and homes for serving nutritious meals to the children or adults in their care. Many different facilities operate the CACFP, all sharing the common goal of bringing nutritious meals and snacks to participants (Child Care Centers, Family Child Care Homes, After-School Care Programs, Shelters, and Adult Day Care Centers). Our CACFP Basics topic this month is Medical Statements.

Substitutions made for medical or dietary reasons must be made to the standard meal pattern for participants who are considered to be persons who are disabled. Other substitutions for participants who are not disabled but are unable to consume regular program meals because of medical or other special dietary needs, when supported by a medical statement from a recognized medical authority are also allowable, but not required. The medical statement should specify the food or foods to be omitted and specify a choice of foods that may be substituted. More details about this provision can be found in SD Numbered Memo CACFP – 45.1.

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Kids in the Kitchen 

Black Bean Salad

From Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children; Team Nutrition Iowa;

  • 16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 2 cups whole kernel corn

  • ¾ cup chopped green pepper

  • ¾ cup chopped onion

Dressing

  • 1 cup homemade (see April 2007 Nutrition Bulletin) or purchased salsa

  • ¼ cup chopped parsley

  • 1 tsp. crushed fresh garlic

  • 1 tsp. ground cumin

  • 1 tsp. prepared mustard

  1. Mix beans, corn, pepper, and onion in a large bowl.
  2. Combine dressing ingredients in small bowl and mix well. Stir into vegetable mixture.
  3. Cover and chill before serving

13 servings

Snack Idea (1-5 year olds):

½ cup Black Bean Salad and 8 homemade tortilla chips (see April 2005 Nutrition Bulletin)

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Kids on the Move

Happy Crabs

Divide the children equally and arrange them on three of the four sides of a large square.

Crabs move by walking sideways on their long and bent legs. The children are going to pretend to be crabs. Begin by sitting on the ground with legs extended, knees bent, and feet on the ground. Arms are extended behind the hands on the ground. Lift bottom off the floor and by “walking” hands and feet move forward, sideward, and backward.

Name each site of the square a color (blue crabs, white crabs, sliver crabs). The open side of the square is the crab trap. You will say “Blue crabs to the crab trap” and the blue crabs will crab walk to the open side. Continue by moving the white crabs around to the new open “traps.” Repeat.
 

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Challenge Yourself to Hit the Trail

SNA of South Dakota offered challenges to us for healthy eating this school year. In addition, check out the newest physical activity challenge from the healthysd.gov website. Ready to walk the entire length of the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills? The next Healthy Challenge is a step challenge to be held May 1-31. The Hit the Trail challenge is intended to encourage physical activity while exploring local trails and walking paths. Participants will be able to measure their progress on a virtual representation of the Mickelson Trail. You can join the friendly competition as individuals or as a team of family, friends or co-workers. You can sign up on the website.

To make it easy to track steps, the Department of Health will provide pedometers to those who sign-up. At the end of the challenge, 10 randomly selected participants will receive either a Mickelson Trail pass or a South Dakota State Parks pass from the Department of Health.

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Report issued on “Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools”

At a news briefing on Wednesday, April 25, the National Academies of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued "Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools." This is a report on nutrition standards for food and beverages offered in schools. The report focuses primarily on foods and beverages that compete with the school meals programs. You can read more about it at www.iom.edu/CMS/3788/30181/42502.aspx.

The report is complimentary to nutrition standards established for school meals by USDA and does not recommend any changes in school meals. The report stresses that the recommended nutrition standards are based on the assumption that meals are the primary nutrient and calorie source for children for the day. Competitive foods are offered as discretionary calories. It also recognizes that current USDA authority is limited to time (during meal service) and place (school cafeterias). You can read more about USDA and the meal programs at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/default.htm  by clicking on the "School Meals" section.

The School Nutrition Association also applauded the efforts of the committee, but has concerns about the enforceability of voluntary standards. You can read their comments at http://www.schoolnutrition.org/.

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Summer Cook Needed

Position Open for a summer cook at Black Hills Playhouse (located in Custer State Park).

  • Gorgeous location and great people to work with.
  • Housing
  • A full kitchen – good stoves, refrigerators, walk in cooler, freezers, etc.
  • An onsite company of approximately forty people
  • Company members do all serving/clean-up, dishwashing, sweeping etc.
  • Three meals a day, six days a week and a brunch on Sunday. (There is an assistant cook and between them they make ‘off time’ arrangements)
  • There are also, seven Mondays off during the summer.

It would be a fine opportunity for someone to spend the summer in the hills! Previous cooks have loved it and have stayed many years. There is excellent on-site management and the actors and crew members are hungry and appreciative eaters.

Anyone interested should contact the Executive Director of the Black Hills Playhouse, Dr. Bruce Halverson at mbrhalver@aol.com. 

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Recipe for Staying Young

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctor worry about them. This is why you pay him/her.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.

4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you can afford. When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be alive while you are alive, don’t put out a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in residence for your mail.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a foreign country, but not to guilt country.

10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND, ALWAYS REMEMBER Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!!

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Food For Thought

Source:  University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County at http://lancaster.unl.edu

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