Articles in the October 2007 Issue

A Note from Sandra:

National School Lunch Week is here! Hope the schools are celebrating that week and having the students vote on their favorite foods. It’s a fun way to find out what they think, participate in the national promotion, and teach children about voting.

Meryl Streep said it: “It's bizarre that the produce manager is more important to my children's health than the pediatrician.”

You’ve heard talk about the importance of including fruits and vegetables, especially servings of fresh fruits and vegetables in the meals we serve to children. That talk is not changing; in fact, it gets to be more important. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines stress that importance and we hear the importance in news media and research almost daily. In addition to the importance of the fresh fruits and vegetables, increasing the use of whole grain items and legumes is stressed. This applies to all the child nutrition programs and our daily lives, not just school meals. Keep looking for ways to offer the produce to students and children in the meal programs as often as possible. We still expect to see proposed changes to the school and child care meal patterns this winter.

Keep up the good work!

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National School Lunch Week

October 15–19, 2007, will be National School Lunch Week across the nation. What is your school doing to promote this special event in your school or agency? Don’t forget that students are encouraged to vote for their favorite candidate (meal entrée) by clicking into the following link: www.VoteForSchoolLunch.org.  The official voting period is from August 1 until the end of National School Lunch Week on October 19 and the winner will be announced on Monday October 22, 2007.

Also remember to encourage your students and classrooms to enter the ‘Design the Candidate’ contest. Entries for the contest will be accepted between August 1, 2007 and October 31, 2007. Three national winners will be professionally re-created and will be entered as candidates in the Vote for School Lunch 2008—Presidential Edition. It would be so exciting to have a winner from South Dakota.

Click here for the contest rules.

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National School Lunch Week (NSLW) Promotion Booklet Survey

CANS is interested in knowing how you may or may not have used the annual promotional booklet for National School Lunch Week. Click here to download and print out a copy of the survey, complete the questions and fax back to Marlyce at CANS. Your opinions will be helpful as we make plans for the future theme weeks. Thank you for taking your time to complete the survey.

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Annual October Data Survey

This year’s October Data Survey memo was dated September 21, 2007. There have been no changes made to the October Data Survey process. The survey must be returned to CANS by November 15th to assure the October claim for reimbursement will be processed without any delays.

South Dakota Child and Adult Nutrition Services (CANS) gathers data each October which is a compilation of numbers for the month of October only. The information from this survey is used for many purposes and is required by federal regulation. The information is used for selecting sites to be visited during the school food authority’s review, determines site eligibility for the School Breakfast Program severe need option, Summer Food Service Program, and Daycare Home tier level. It is also used for reporting prices paid by children in our state for breakfast and lunch in the annual report to the American School Food Service Association, for data in response to questions by Congress and USDA, and reporting site eligibility to the National Center for Education Statistics for the core summary data. Several programs use the data including determination of e-rate and need for various title programs and grants.

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Annual Verification of Applications for School Meal Benefits

Memo NSLP 51.3 is the most recent reference for the annual verification process. It has been mailed out and was dated September 7, 2007. The memo is also available on the CANS website under Quick Links at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nslp/index.asp.  Please destroy the prior memo reference which would have been called NSLP 51.2.

NSLP 51.3 requires local education agencies (LEAs) to use the Basic verification method unless they meet criteria for Alternate method. While LEAs should verify questionable applications, they cannot choose to verify 100% of the applications on file. Be sure to use the updated Verification Summary Report form 742SD which can be found as the last page of NSLP 51.3 when reporting the required data to CANS.

October 1st is the date schools must know how many applications they have on file for the free and reduced meal benefits. Please refer to the dates that the LEA submitted to CANS in the annual Child Nutrition Program Agreement, Attachment F, to be sure the verification process is completed by the deadline of November 15th. Refer to NSLP 51.3 for proper procedures and prototype letters and forms to send to families. The Verification Summary Report Form 742SD,which is the last page of NSLP 51.3, must be completed and submitted to CANS no later than February 1st. Schools are encouraged to send in their summary form immediately following the verification process which ends by November 15th.

What is the purpose of the verification process? State agencies must report the SFA level data to the USDA Food and Nutrition Services. Submission of the SFA data will enable State agencies and Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) to better understand certification errors and to improve oversight activities. This will help ensure that free and reduced price subsidized meals are provided only to eligible children.

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Potentially Hazardous Foods…Foods requiring special attention and care when handling

This month’s food safety education material is on Potentially Hazardous Food. Often you will see the acronym “PHF” used in referring to potentially hazardous food. PHF is a term used to describe foods that require time and temperature controls to keep food safe to eat.

Potentially hazardous foods need certain conditions to grow foodborne microorganisms. The growth of these microorganisms in large numbers can make a food unsafe to eat. These conditions (remembered by the acronym “FAT TOM”) are

Food—specifically protein food and carbohydrate food.

Acidity—bacteria grows best in food that is slightly acidic

Temperature—foodborne microorganisms grow best at temperatures between 41ºF-140ºF

Time—microorganisms need time to grow. By ensuring that a PHF spends no more than four hours in the temperature danger zone (41ºF-140ºF) microorganism growth levels are kept in check and the chances of a food making a person sick are lessened.

Oxygen—some pathogens require oxygen to grow while others do not. (Pathogens that are grown without oxygen include those found in cooked rice and foil wrapped baked potatoes.)

Moisture—foodborne microorganisms grow best in moist foods. (For example, saltine crackers have a very low moisture level while raw chicken has a much higher moisture content.)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code identifies the following examples of PHF's:

  • Meat (beef, pork, lamb)

  • Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)

  • Fish

  • Shellfish and crustaceans

  • Eggs (except those treated to eliminate Salmonella)

  • Milk and dairy products

  • Heat-treated plant food (cooked rice, beans, or vegetables)

  • Baked potatoes

  • Certain synthetic ingredients

  • Sliced melons

  • Raw sprouts

  • Tofu and soy-protein foods

  • Untreated garlic and oil mixtures

Thinking about your food safety programs, PHF items on your menus should be categorized into Process 1 (No Cook), Process 2 (Same Day Service) or Process 3 (Complex) worksheets. Only PHF menu items need to be listed on the Process worksheets. Examples of Process Worksheets can be found on the CANS website.

  • Go to http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans

  • Scroll to the bottom of the page until you see: “Training and Technical Assistance”

  • Click on the link titled: “Food Safety and Training Information. 

  • Click on the link titled: “Your Plan and Process Worksheets”

  • Scroll down until you find the Process #1, Process #2, and Process #3 Worksheets.

Using your breakfast and lunch menus, identify and categorize PHF according to the process worksheet they belong to. For example “milk” would belong under Process #1. Food items only need to be listed once. Once you list milk, you don’t need to list it again even though you serve it every day. Ground beef patties would be an example of a food item that would be listed under Process #2. You may have to list ground beef patties twice if you are buying a raw patty and a precooked patty since the end point temperature would be different. Raw ground beef patties need to be cooked to a temperature of 155ºF. Precooked ground beef patties need to be heated to a temperature of 140ºF. Items listed in the Process #3 worksheet include items that are served as leftovers or prepared in advance. If your school does neither of these things, you may write “No leftovers served, no foods prepared in advanced”. This notation lets everyone know that you are aware there is a Process #3 worksheet, but that you do not have any PHF items to list on this worksheet.

For those of you who read this, don’t forget to record this on your employee training record!!

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Mini Grants Available
South Dakota has been awarded a Team Nutrition grant for October 2007 through September 2009. Activities within this grant include 3 mini-grant categories:

  • Gardening

  • Fun fruit and vegetable events

  • Hiring a registered dietitian to assist with menus, wellness policy implementation, education of staff, students, and parents, special diets, applying for the HealthierUS School Challenge, implementing the new dietary guidelines, and other school nutrition related areas.

The gardening mini-grants will be open to schools, preschools, after school programs, and summer feeding programs. SDSU Cooperative Extension is planning to partner with the gardening grants to give technical assistance to schools in planning, preparing and implementing gardens as well as with teaching lessons related to gardening. Other state agency partners will likely assist as well in various ways.

The fun fruit and vegetable events mini-grants will be for events at schools, preschools, after school programs, and summer feeding programs.

The Registered Dietitian (RD) mini-grants will be for schools only and schools will gain points on their application if they apply for the HealthierUS School Challenge. Schools that already have an RD on staff, won’t be able to pay for that person’s salary, but can hire them to put in additional hours or hire an additional RD to do some work that wouldn’t get done otherwise.

All agencies that apply for mini-grants must participate in USDA’s child nutrition programs and belong to Team Nutrition in order to qualify for the mini-grant funding. More information about the mini-grants will be forthcoming. Watch your mailbox for mini-grant applications, which will be mailed out in the next few months.

For more information about the upcoming Team Nutrition mini-grants please visit the SD Team Nutrition website at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nutrition. 

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MyPyramid and Calories Image of Pyramid

Do you get questions related to the number of calories that you serve as compared to what others think should be the number of calories served to various groups of students? Do others not understand that USDA is the one that sets the requirements for the numbers of calories that you serve? You may find a time that you are trying to explain how the calories are set for each grade group at your school if you haven’t already had to do this. This article should give you ideas to provide answers to questions.

In order to make things manageable for schools, USDA has grouped students into grade groups with a set number of calories that are required to meet 1/3 of the daily calories for lunch. Because calories are averaged out for the week, some days meals will have a larger number of calories than other days, but over the course of the week, the calories should average out to 1/3 of the calories for the day. Additionally, students’ calorie needs vary greatly by age, gender and activity level, and so some students will receive more than 1/3 of their daily calories even when averaged over the week and a few students do not get 1/3 of their calories met with a reimbursable meal.

Those students at the lower end of the grade group generally will receive more than 1/3 of their calories needed for lunch and those students at the upper end of their grade group will receive closer to the right amount of calories. Girls need fewer calories than boys, so most girls from first grade through high school will get more than 1/3 of their needed calories at lunch unless they only take part of the meal (offer vs. serve) or throw away part of their lunch. Some students will eat more calories than they need at lunch, which makes it especially important what other choices students make during the day (such as what they purchase on the way to school, at school stores, from vending machines, as a la carte, as part of fundraisers, are given in the classroom, and bring from home). What they eat outside of school time hours also will impact whether they go over their calorie salary for the day as well. Nutrition education in the cafeteria and classroom can help students learn to make wise choices. The optional grade grouping that USDA provides for traditional and enhanced menu patterns is intended to help meet the calorie needs better and it is recommended to use them if possible.

One hundred extra calories a day can add up to 10 pounds of fat in a year! It is a good strategy for schools to encourage physical activity as well as serving more fruits and vegetables so that the extra calories consumed are especially healthy foods that students might not get at home or anywhere else. Don’t push students to clean up their plate or not throw away good food. They shouldn’t keep eating if they aren’t hungry.

As an example of the wide variety of calorie needs--first grade inactive girls receive a little over 50% of their calories for the day on average in a reimbursable meal if they take all the components and eat all of them. On the other hand, very active high school male athletes may need quite a lot more food than served in a reimbursable meal to meet their calorie needs. This difference in the number of calories needed between students is one reason you may have a high school coach telling you that you need to feed the students more and you might have a school nurse, principal, or parent telling you that you are overfeeding some of the kids.

While offering seconds of entrees would provide extra calories to those who need more calories (such as the football players who are in training), it will also tempt those who do not need any more calories and many of us have a hard time resisting eating seconds of our favorite foods (think of the all you can eat pizza restaurants as an example). Instead, consider offering foods such as baked potatoes and low fat cheese, whole wheat bread and peanut butter, or return trips to the salad bar for those who are still hungry.

Click here to download a MyPyramid Calorie Count chart. This chart illustrates approximately how many calories the MyPyramid estimates that students need for their age, gender and activity level as well what 1/3 of those calories would be. The chart also includes the number of calories required for each grade group next to the approximate ages that would receive that meal pattern for that age group.

For more information, please consult the MyPyramid and the Menu Planner.

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School’s back in session and Midwest Dairy Council wants to remind you about our2007 Breakfast Rewards!

Is your breakfast program worth bragging about?

Do any of your schools offer an Expanding Breakfast Program such as Grab-n-Go Breakfast, Breakfast on the bus, Breakfast in the Classroom, or Breakfast after 1st Period?

Have any of your schools increased breakfast participation due to new programming or positive changes you have made?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions OR if you are planning to enhance your School Breakfast Program by November 2007, you could WIN money for your school.

Click here to download an application. Applications are due November 30, 2007!

For more information contact your local Dairy Council Program Manager
or visit www.midwestdairy.com.

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Grant available for Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs That Encourage Healthy Lifestyles for Youth


The South Dakota Department of Health has grant funds available to support activities that encourage healthy lifestyles for youth through physical activity and nutrition. Funds will be used to support activities to improve policy and environment through physical activity and nutrition. Applications will be accepted from all public, private and BIE K-12 schools and out of school time programs. All projects funded with this RFP must focus on children and youth. The DEADLINE is October 31, 2007. For more information and application, go to www.healthysd.gov/grant.htm.

 
There is $70,000 available to schools and agencies to promote physical activity and nutrition from the South Dakota Department of Health.  Grants will be awarded in amounts of $3,000-$5,000.  Schools may apply for salad bar equipment with this funding if they do not already have salad bar equipment and can show in their application that by purchasing salad bar equipment, they will be able to provide healthier options to students and sustain the offerings after the grant period is over. (No funds of the grant can be used to purchase food items for the salad bar.)  This is a wonderful opportunity as it is rare that grants are available that allow funding for purchasing food service equipment that is needed to help agencies offer healthier items to students.

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Resource Corner: Online Version of Making It Happen

If you are looking for ideas on how to make it happen at your school, this is the resource for you. Not only does it include real life stories of how others made it happen at their school, but it also includes examples of documents and contact information for questions.

This online searchable version of the Making It Happen resource from USDA is available at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/MIH/MainPage.aspx. Thirteen categories are available including influencing food and beverage contracts, adopting nutrition standards for competitive foods, adopting marketing techniques to promote healthy choices, a la carte foods and beverages, limiting student access to competitive foods, make more healthful foods and beverages available, nutrition policies and standards, parental leadership, staff wellness, resources used, student input into change, vending contracts, and using fundraising activities and rewards.

When doing a search, you may also put in the location where you are looking for the success story. Locations include the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. In order to get more results, it is suggested to search all locations as some states have very few stories or no stories online in this resource.

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Professional Development:
Earning continuing education credit online

Did you know that you can take classes online from the School Nutrition Association (SNA) and earn continuing education credit from your own computer at a time that works well for you?

Available classes include:

  • Stress Management (3 credit hours)

  • Dealing with Difficult People (3 credit hours)

  • Dealing with Conflict and Confrontation (3 credit hours)

  • Expanding Breakfast (2 credit hours)

  • Business Writing Basics (3 credit hours)

  • Prime Purchasing Practices (5 credit hours)

  • Serving it Safe (10 credit hours)

  • New Look of Milk (1 credit hour)

  • Healthy Edge (10 credit hours)

The cost ranges from $10 to $50 per class depending upon the number of credits. For more information, please visit the School Nutrition Association continuing education page www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=30.

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