Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)
- Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team
- Other Updates and Information
Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
What's Not to Love About Team Nutrition's Free Resources?
Announcement of Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards and Sub-Grants Cooperative Agreement Awardee
On February 3, USDA FNS announced a cooperative agreement with Action for Healthy Kids supporting the USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. Under the agreement, Action for Healthy Kids will develop and implement a national nutrition recognition awards program for all School Food Authorities (SFAs) that participate in the National School Lunch Program and provide grants to small and rural SFAs to support changes to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. These efforts will raise up innovative best practices happenin in schools acrossthe country to provide practical strategies and support for schools to further improve school meals for children.
What's New in the Food Buying Guide?
New food yield data continues to be added to the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) so users have easy access to even more information to make creating shopping lists and Recipe Analysis Workbooks even easier.
Here are just a few of the many diverse new foods that can be found in the FBG:
- Lychee, fresh
- Mandarins, canned and fresh
- Rambutan, fresh
- Sorghum, pearled and whole
- A variety of individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit
- A variety of IQF beans
In addition to the many new foods available in the FBG, users can expect an exciting update to the Exhibit A Grains Tool in March! The Exhibit A Grains Tool, available on both the Web-based Tool and Mobile App, will allow users to select their program to filter search results and show only allowable creditable grain items for the selected program.
Crediting in the Child Nutrition Programs Tip Sheet Series
The Crediting Tip Sheet Series provides Child Nutrition Program operators with simple, easy-to-use tip sheets which make a great training aide, resource, or refresher. Check out the tip sheets available now for Fruits, Vegetables, Meats/Meat Alternates, and Milk. The Grains Tip Sheet will be released in three parts and can be expected soon on the Team Nutrition website!
Are You a Whole Grains Guru?
Test your knowledge with the Whole Grains Quiz! This new quiz supports information provided in the updated Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs, Whole Grains Resource for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Use this 10-question quiz in your staff training. Take the Whole Grains Quiz today!
New and Updated! Discover MyPlate Nutrition Education for Kindergarten
Team Nutrition is pleased to announce the new and updated Discover MyPlate: Nutrition Education for Kindergarten resources. Schools and parents can now access the fun, inquiry-based MyPlate nutrition education resources designed specifically for kindergarten-aged children. The set now includes additional foods, Spanish-language components, and fun new resources showing where foods come from.
- Kindergarten teachers can use the standards-based lessons to help kids learn about nutrition while also reinforcing math, science, English language arts, and health education content.
- School Nutrition Professionals can reinforce key Discover MyPlate messages at school meals.
- Parents/caregivers can use these fun readers, activity sheets, and more to help their child learn about food while practicing reading and math skills.
Cook with Team Nutrition
Team Nutrition has kid-approved recipes that are sure to be a hit! USDA standardized recipes include crediting statements and nutrient analysis information to make menu planning easier. Check out recipes for CACFP and School Meals Program operators including brand new State Child Nutrition Agency Developed Recipes!
Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team
REMINDER: Registration Open: Life Cycle of Farm to School - Composting Workshop!
Join us to learn about composting at your school! Do you have tons of food scraps that end up in the garbage? Could your school garden use some better soil? Do you want to start composting but just don’t know where to begin? If “yes,” this workshop is for you!
Mark your calendars and Register for the Composting Workshop!
SY 2022-23 Enrollment and Participation Reports Now Available!
The Enrollment and Participation Reports provide data regarding student enrollment and free and reduced price meal eligibility by both school food authority (SFA) and by site. They are available on the Program Statistics webpage. The data is pulled from the October 2022 claims for reimbursement for both the National School Lunch (NSLP) and School Breakfast Programs.
FY 2022 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant Update
The application period for the FY 2022 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant closed at 5 PM on February 6, 2023. Please note that late submissions will not be accepted.
We received applications from 259 school food authorities (SFAs), requesting a total of 422 pieces of equipment.
Each SFA that submitted an application will be notified in March or April whether they have been select to proceed with part two of the Equipment Grant application process.
Other Updates and Information
Wisconsin Chili Lunch: Still Time to Register
February 23, 2023 is the Wisconsin Chili Lunch! Participation is simple: Prepare and serve your Wisconsin Chili Lunch using as many locally grown ingredients as possible, and customize it to meet your needs! Use a recipe listed on the webpage above, or cook up your own favorite chili recipe. Register Today to get the Chili Lunch Guide, supply chain help, more recipes and get connected to other farm to institution efforts in the state.
Virtual Instructor-Led Trainings (VILTs) February and March Sessions 2023
It's not too late to register for FREE virtual training sessions from the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN)! Topics are available for school nutrition professionals and Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) operators. Many topics are scheduled for new child nutrition directors, including lessons from Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership (ISNL) and Food Safety in Schools.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jill K. Underly, PhD, State Superintendent
125 S Webster Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-3390 • (800) 441-4563