Tuesday, July 19, 2022
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)
New! Fueling My Healthy Life
USDA Team Nutrition recently released new nutrition education resources for middle school students. Fueling My Healthy Life is designed to educate students about a healthy eating style and encourages positive lifestyle changes. Choose from a variety of activities including lesson plans, student articles, assessments, and short videos. All materials are free to download.
Now Available! New Yields for the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-based Tool!
New yields are now available in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-based (FBG) Tool!
New yield data for whole sorghum, pearled sorghum, and sorghum flour have been added to the FBG. Sorghum is a grain that credits in Child Nutrition Programs and can be offered or served as part of a reimbursable meal. Whole or pearled sorghum can be used in place of rice or quinoa in recipes.
For a comparison:
- Instant Brown Rice: 1 lb dry = about 4⅜ cups dry or 7⅛ cups cooked.
- Whole Sorghum: 1 lb dry = about 2¼ cups dry or 7¾ cups cooked.
- Pearled Sorghum: 1 lb dry = about 2½ cups dry or 6¾ cups cooked.
This is the first set of new data from phase two of the FBG Yield Study. Check out the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs today!
Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team
Save the Date! Lifecycle of Farm to School: Processing Workshop - August 16, 2022
Join us for a hands-on workshop turning fresh fruits and vegetables from the school garden into foods you can serve in school meals. We’ll enter Monona Grove’s brand-new Granite Ridge School kitchen, hosted by Food Service Director Maggie Sanna and REAP’s Allison Pfaff Harris. This is an action-oriented workshop – you’ll learn by doing: washing and storing, chopping and dicing, weighing and measuring, blanching and freezing, packing and serving. Gain the tools and resources to move pounds of produce through your kitchen and right into your school meals. Bring your food service team, your school garden team, or your enthusiastic administrator. We’ll provide the aprons, knives and cutting boards. There is no sitting this one out – it just may be the most adventurous workshop you do all summer!
Have you been wondering:
- How many servings of applesauce do I get from 10 bushels of apples?
- How can I use produce from the school garden when it’s not on the menu until November?
- How do I get my staff to work efficiently with fresh fruits and vegetables?
- How long does it take to chop carrots into coins?
- And what is blanching, exactly?
The Processing workshop will answer these questions! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 16, 2022. Registration is opening soon! Receive instruction from culinary professionals, networking time with other school food professionals, produce handling knowledge, participate in group discussions, create personal action plans for future processing goals, and generally have a fun time.
Processing is part five of eight workshops in the Lifecycle of Farm to School training series. No previous workshop attendance is required. You can jump in to learn just what you need at this Processing workshop or attend all eight workshops, as you like.
Read the Reviews:
- About our recent Harvesting workshop: “I was impressed with the scale of all that is being done at this site. I loved the harvesting of everything and tasting our wonderful salad.”
- Another said “It was great!”.
- One participant wrote “The whole class was very informational. I really learned a lot. Highlight – chickens & lunch!”
- About the Seed Starting workshop: “I thought the information, explanations, and demo were great! Thank you!”
- About the Building & Planting workshop: “Everybody is so friendly and willing to answer questions and listen to stories.”
Other Updates and Information
Institute of Child Nutrition S.T.A.R. Webinar: Highlighting School Success in Meeting the Transitional Nutrition Standards
Date: Thursday, July 28, 2022
Time: 2-3:00 pm CST
The USDA, FNS new rule on Transitional Nutrition Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium went into effect on July 1, 2022. This webinar will highlight the school nutrition programs that are meeting the nutrition requirements to continuously serve nutritious school meals. Join to hear how operators tailored strategies and best practices to meet the new transitional standards.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Webinar recordings can be found on ICN’s online course platform, iLearn, one week after the live webinar. Click here to register for the recorded webinar on iLearn.
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Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jill K. Underly, PhD, State Superintendent
125 S Webster Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-3390 • (800) 441-4563