Articles in the February 2008 Issue

• A Note from Sandra
• Child Nutrition Institute
• Simplified Summer Food Program Makes it Easier to Feed Children
• Money for your school for healthy snacks - Applications due in early March
• Setting up a school garden to be topic of next DDN Session February 27
• Starting a garden project
• Change in Payment Notice
• National School Breakfast Week – March 3-7, 2008
• Building for the Future with the CACFP
• Kids in the Kitchen
• Kids on the Move
• MyPyramid Corner—How do your menus stack up?
• Professional Development
• Avoiding Cross Contamination
• 21st Century Community Learning Center Grants Available
• Game, Fish & Parks Launches No Child Left Inside Program
• Little Bits of Wellness Wisdom
   

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Child Nutrition Institute
June 22-27, 2008
Augustana College

Make plans to attend the annual Child Nutrition Institute in Sioux Falls at Augustana College on June 22-27.

Tracks will be similar to what have been offered in the past. One change that you may notice when you receive your registration information is that we are not offering a baking track this year. We have decided that we need to review our curriculum and make sure that the needs of the class and the products that are produced best reflect the whole grain trend that child nutrition staff is facing.  

Registration is planned to be online this year and a newsletter will be mailed at the end of February giving information about the events of the week, registration details and topics covered in each track.

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Now is the time to start making plans for the summer. Summer programs that operate in low-income areas or serve primarily low-income children can receive federal funds to provide meals through the new Simplified Summer Food Program. Other places where children congregate during the summer, such as parks, swimming pools, and low-income housing complexes, can also participate. 

The Simplified Summer Food Program removes complicated accounting rules required in the traditional summer food program. This dramatically cuts paperwork and provides sponsors with the full federal reimbursement for each meal they serve. Schools, local government agencies, and private non-profits can participate in the Simplified Summer Food Program. 

To qualify, a site must either be located in a low-income area, ( i.e., where 50 percent or more of the children in the area are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals), or serve primarily low-income children with at least half of the children enrolled in the program are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. 

Most sites can provide up two meals a day. Camps and sites serving primarily migrant children can provide up to three meals a day, but they qualify under slightly different rules. 

Application/Agreement packets will be mailed out to all interested sponsors the first part of March. Child and Adult Nutrition Services must receive a completed agreement by April 10th to be considered for participation in this program. This Agreement must also be approved before a sponsor can begin to serve meals at the sites. We urge you to contribute to the health and well-being of the children in your community by sponsoring a Summer Food Service Program. To participate in the Simplified Summer Food Program, contact Cassandra Pope at 773-3110 or e-mail at cassandra.pope@state.sd.us.

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Money for your school for healthy snacks

Applications due in early March 

Your school may be eligible to apply for participation in the newly expanded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) for school year 2008-09. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is to provide fresh vegetable and fruit snacks to children throughout the school day.

We received news on January 29 confirming that South Dakota will be able to expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to 25 more schools in South Dakota. The 2008 Omnibus Appropriation Act that the President signed on December 26 included $9.9 million for expanded funding to states that were not participating yet. South Dakota already have 10 schools in the Pine Ridge area participating as provided for under previous legislation. We will add 25 more schools. You can read about the FFVP on our website at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/FFVP/index.asp. The application will be available at that site by February 8, 2008 for schools to access for completion. We will mail or fax a copy of the application to any School Food Authority that requests it if they cannot access it. Call 773-3413 to obtain an application if you cannot access it after February 8.

It is important to note that legislation currently being discussed by Congress could have some additional effect on the future scope of the FFVP, but it will not affect the current appropriation for the 08-09 school year. This Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is not the same as the fresh produce that schools can order as a part of their USDA donated commodities for use in the School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Schools that receive awards or grants through other programs that support the fresh fruit and vegetables, such as the Team Nutrition Grant, are still eligible to apply for the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

This is to give you a heads up to start considering your application. It will likely be due in early March. This grant is for fresh fruits and vegetables, not canned or frozen. A limited amount of dried fruit or vegetables is allowable. It is open competition. We expect information that is more specific in a conference call with USDA soon. Funding per school will depend upon the number of students in schools that receive the grant across the nation.

What is in it for the school?

What are the school responsibilities and requirements?

• How you would expect to operate the program in your school;
• How your students would benefit;
• Who would be involved in program operation in the school;
• Who your out-of school partners might be;
• How you would incorporate nutrition education into this;
• How you could incorporate the FFVP into existing programs, classes, and activities;
• How you would market this program; and
• What existing resources you can use and what you might need to make it work.

This effort will need the approval of the superintendent or equivalent position of the school, the principal, and the food service department. It takes cooperation the whole team – adding in teachers, aides, support staff, custodians, and the bus drivers if you are sending snacks home on the bus - to make the program successful. Grant recipients will be required to attend a program workshop to be held after the selection process. Cost of attending the workshop would be allowable administrative expenses.

We will keep you posted as we hear more. We will email the notice to authorized representatives and food service directors when the application is available. It is time to start thinking about whether you want to apply and gather information to complete your application.

Contact Janelle at 280-4278 if you have questions regarding this program.

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Setting up a school garden to be topic of next DDN Session February 27

Remaining sessions of the 2008 DDN series from Child and Adult Nutrition Services will be held on the following dates and broadcast from 2-4 pm Central time and 1-3 Mountain time. The target audience is child nutrition program staff, school wellness committee members, teachers, administrators, school board members, parents and other agency staff wanting to know more about these topics. Others, such as SDSU Cooperative Extension, master gardeners, health care professionals, and community members may attend as space permits.

The following sites will broadcast the DDN sessions:

*The Tea DDN site can not broadcast Power Point images—so if you attend at this location, you will only be able to view the presenter.

Check out the SD Team Nutrition website at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nutrition/trainingandassistance.asp for more information.

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Starting a garden project

Does your agency have a garden? Are you starting to think about what you might plant? If you haven’t had a garden in the past, perhaps this is the year to plant one. Getting students to eat more fruits and vegetables is a good way to help prevent childhood obesity and students who are involved in gardens are more likely to be interested in eating fruits and vegetables. A garden can be the project of one or two staff members or can be a team effort of teachers, school food service, school nurse, parents, students, principal, secretaries, janitors, school counselor, etc. There may be a master gardener in your area that would be available to help with the garden.

There are creative ways to go about doing it and even if your agency isn’t open over the summer, it is possible that there would be volunteers who would water it and take care of it until the students come back in the fall. Consider container gardens if you are not able to locate a place to put a garden. Want more information? There is a wealth of information on the USDA website.  Also, you may contact your local SDSU Cooperative Extension agent for information to get you started.

Kids in the Kitchen –

Banana Muffins – from Providers Voice Newsletter

• 1 c. enriched flour

• ½ c sugar

• ¼ tsp. nutmeg

• ½ c. milk

• 1/3 c. chopped nuts

• ¾ c. whole-wheat flour

• 2 tsp. baking soda

• ½ c. mashed banana (about 1 large)

• 1 slightly beaten egg

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Combine dry ingredients; stir in remaining ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill cups two-thirds full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Note: white flour may be substituted for whole-wheat if desired.

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Kids on the Move –

Obstacle Course

Arrange obstacles (chairs, boxes, tables, etc) around the room or the playground so that it looks like an obstacle course. Be creative; make sure there are things to crawl through, move around, jump over, etc. Encourage the children to move around the course in different ways (walking, crawling, walking backwards, bear walking, etc.)

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MyPyramid Corner—How do your menus stack up?

If you took your menus and put each item on the MyPyramid, where would the items fit? At the top?  In the middle? Or at the bottom where it is recommended?

Many of the foods that students like land very high on the stripes of the MyPyramid. Agencies are finding ways to prepare healthier versions of these foods so they land much lower on the MyPyramid and finding replacement foods that the students will eat instead of high fat or high sugar foods.

Sausage would be an example of a food that lands at the top of the MyPyramid. High fat meats should be avoided and instead a lean meat or meat alternative should be served in its place. If sausage is on your menu for breakfast, consider replacing it with lean hamburger, yogurt or a meatless sausage with a CN label. If you want to serve pork, serve it for lunch instead of breakfast and serve very lean pork tenderloin.

Sweet rolls, muffins, cookies, cake, pie, and brownies are all examples of grains/bread items that are very high on the MyPyramid because of the added sugar and fat. Healthier grains/bread choices are whole grain dinner rolls, whole-wheat tortillas, brown rice, whole grain pasta, barley, whole grain rice cakes, and whole grain hamburger buns. To meet the calorie requirements of the child nutrition programs, give students additional fruits, vegetables, legumes (dried beans), and healthy whole grain items.

Corn dogs, Tri-Tators, and pizza are additional examples of menu items that are high in fat and would be placed high on the MyPyramid. Consider offering them less often and offer other items that students like such as soft shell tacos with whole wheat tortillas, lean meat/meat alternative, tomato, lettuce, and a small amount of low fat cheese.

Serving foods that are high on the MyPyramid less often and replacing them with foods that are at the bottom of the MyPyramid is a way to get students eating healthier and for your menus to become more in line with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. Serving beans as the meat alternative can be a way to reduce the saturated fat in your menus and align your meals closer to the bottom of the MyPyramid.

For more information about the 2005 Dietary Guideline recommendations and the MyPyramid, please visit http://www.mypyramid.gov.

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Professional Development

Upcoming workshops from the National Food Service Institute include:

First Choice Procurement Seminar

• April 29-May 1, 2008; NFSMI, Oxford, MS

Orientation to School Nutrition Management Seminar

• May 12-16, 2008; Macintosh Atlantic Culinary Academy, Dover, NH

• June 9-13, 2008; NFSMI, Oxford, MS

• July 7-11, 2008; Provo School District, Provo, UT

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Avoiding Cross Contamination

What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the words “cross contamination”? Using separate cutting boards? Washing fruits and vegetables before cutting them? Setting up separate work areas for raw foods and cooked foods?

According to an article published by Washington State University, cross contamination can be defined as pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses that are transferred to foods that will receive no additional cooking. Often times (but not always!) the original source of the pathogens are foods that will be cooked such as raw poultry and meat.

Here are some general rules to follow when handling foods that need further cooking and ready-to-eat foods. (Information provided from Washington State University and ServSafe Essentials Fourth Edition).

• Clean everything before and after preparing food. Thoroughly wash your hands, knives, cutting boards, food preparation surfaces, and sinks after any contact with raw poultry, meat, seafood, or any other potentially hazardous foods.
• Rinse all fresh fruits - including melons - and vegetables thoroughly under running water before preparing or eating them. While it is true that this will not remove all microorganisms, it will reduce the number present. Pathogens have been isolated from a wide variety of fresh produce, and outbreaks of foodborne illness have been associated with many types of produce – cantaloupes and tomatoes, for example. If the skin is contaminated, the pathogens move into the fruit when it is sliced. Removing the skin or rind reduces the risk.
• Do not allow cooked or ready-to-eat food to touch food-contact surfaces that have not been cleaned and sanitized.
• Do not allow contaminated food to touch or drip fluids onto cooked or ready-to-eat food. (This is why it is necessary to store raw meats on the bottom shelf of your coolers or refrigerators).
• A kitchen worker should not touch contaminated food and then touch cooked or ready-to-eat food.
• Clean and sanitize contaminated cleaning cloths before using on other food-contact surfaces.
• When breading food, never use batter or breading for more than one product.

Remember to share this article with others in your kitchen and record it as employee training!!

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21^st Century Community Learning Center Grants Available

Programs that support student learning outside of school time may apply for 21^st Century Community Learning Center grants. Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $150,000 per year for five years. The South Dakota Department of Education will award the grants, which are available through the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

21^st Century Community Learning Center grants are designed to strengthen after-school, Saturday and summer programs that support student learning and development and help students meet performance standards in core academic subjects such as reading and mathematics. The grants help schools, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations provide activities that complement or enrich regular academic programs for students attending high-poverty schools or schools identified for school improvement.

The department expects to award approximately six grants. In order to qualify for the grants, the applicant must serve school districts in which 40 percent or more of the students qualify for free and reduced meals.

In addition to academic enhancement, these grants can be used to provide a broad array of additional services for students, including drug and violence prevention programs, counseling programs; art, music and recreation programs; and character education programs.

Applications are available online at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/21cent/appprocess.asp.  Applications must be received by February 22, 2008.

For more information, contact Sue Burgard, South Dakota Department of Education, at (605) 773-5238 or sue.burgard@state.sd.us.

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Game, Fish & Parks Launches No Child Left Inside Program

 “Get out!” That’s the message coming from Game, Fish & Parks’ new education program, entitled No Child Left Inside. As a response to the growing trend of children spending less and less time exploring their natural surroundings, GFP is implementing efforts to encourage parents and teachers to get kids outdoors, learning.

“So many kids are spending hours each day in front of the TV or computer,” says Chad Tussing, Education Services Coordinator for GFP. Recent surveys are showing that Americans watch, on average, four hours of TV per day. For children, that number climbs to an average of 6.5 hours per day.

The No Child Left Inside program consists of three components: a resource web site, loaner backpacks, and a small grant program. The web site contains basic, easy-to-do activities for kids throughout the year. “In order to move forward, I think we need to move backward, back to allowing kids the opportunity for simple outdoor discovery,” Tussing says.

The loaner backpacks are coming May 1, 2008, to the Pierre area through the Rawlins Public Library. Families and groups will be able to borrow backpacks – plus one large crate – of equipment helpful for exploring the outdoors. The packs include field guides, butterfly nets, magnifying glasses, etc.

The small grant portion of No Child Left Inside is designed to extend the impact of the program to others who work with children. Groups, daycares, schools, and individuals can apply for one of these grants, ranging from $550-1,000 per grant. The projects must include a strong educational value and should have the potential for wide-reaching impact. Potential projects include educational curricula, outdoor classrooms, or other educational activities. Applications are due March 28, 2008 and can be found online at the address given below.

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Little Bits of Wellness Wisdom


√ Get to know grains. They’re the foundation of the Food Guide Pyramid and good nutrition. High in carbohydrates and low in fat, grains are the ideal food to fuel muscles.

√ Short on time? Try grabbing a low-fat breakfast bar or piece of fruit on your way out the door, or keep instant oatmeal in your desk drawer and microwave it at the office.

√ Want a quick Mexi-meal? Roll up a tortilla with cheese, salsa and fat-free refried beans.

√ Enjoy your food, even if you’re in a rush. Don’t always eat at your desk. Take a real lunch break and enjoy the experience. Chew slowly and focus on the meal, not what’s waiting at your desk. Remember, when you gulp down your food, you may consume more than you need. Give your stomach time to tell your brain you’ve had enough.

√ Get back on track. Don’t punish yourself for infrequent slip-ups of overeating or eating high-fat foods.


Source: Life’s Little Book of Wellness, SD Wheat Commission

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