Legislation Update: The Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark), who is taking over as the chair of the Senate Ag Committee, has just introduced a new child nutrition bill. This one is called the Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act of 2009, and it's supposed to "improve the purchase and processing of healthful commodities for use ...
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September 10, 2009
Delays for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization
The current Child Nutrition Act is slated to expire at the end of the month, but with the economic crisis and health care reform dominating the agenda in Congress, lawmakers have yet to draft a reauthorization bill. According to CQ Politics, it looks like Congress will extend the current legislation to buy some ...
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September 9, 2009
Could Tiny Rhode Island Become a School Lunch Model?
I attended a Slow Food Eat-In in Tiverton, Rhode Island yesterday, and over delicious salads and home-baked bread, I talked to Jennifer Quigley-Harris from Kids First and learned some amazing things about school food in the Ocean State. This month, new nutrition standards for cafeteria meals take effect in all Rhode ...
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September 8, 2009
This Week in School Lunch
Here's the roundup of what students ate for lunch this week: Monday, in Lubbock, TX: - Hot Dog with Chips - Carrot Coins - Mixed Fruit Tuesday, in Scottsbluff, NE: - Corndog - Potato Rounds - Watermelon - Cookie Wednesday, in Peoria, IL: - Pancake and Sausage on a Stick OR Cheese Dog on a Bun - Potato Wedges - Chilled Applesauce - Assorted ...
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September 4, 2009
Country Watch: England
Add England to the list of countries with sensible school meal policies. This month, following a huge campaign by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, new nutrition standards take effect in secondary school cafeterias (the rules are already in effect in elementary schools). The new policy regulates lunches, as well as foods ...
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September 3, 2009
Good News Out of the USDA
It may truly be a new era for the USDA when it comes to school lunch. Yes, the department is still closely linked to the meat and dairy lobbies, and it still issues dozens of regulations that don't make sense. But school meals — and healthy school meals, at that ...
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September 2, 2009
Mark Your Calendars for Slow Food’s School Lunch Action Day
What do you get when you combine potluck dishes, the child nutrition reauthorization and thousands of advocates for healthy school food? Slow Food USA calls the result an "eat-in," and hundreds are about to take place across the United States. On Labor Day, this coming Monday, advocates in 290 cities across ...
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September 1, 2009
This Week in School Lunch
School is back in session, and so is our Friday column that showcases random school lunch menus from around the country. Here's what students ate in the cafeteria this week: Monday, in Louisville, KY: Chicken nuggets, roast beef and cheese sandwich or Smuckers PB&J Uncrustable Potato Tots, corn or tossed salad with dressing Canned ...
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August 28, 2009
Tray Trends: This Year’s New Cafeteria Items
The beginning of the school year is a convenient time for cafeterias to tweak their menus and introduce new foods. So it's also the time when the food industry showcases all the new items it has cooked up for school lunchrooms. Last month, I attended the School Nutrition Association's annual ...
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August 26, 2009
Need Healthy School Food Resources? Check Out The Lunch Box
It's finally ready! School Lunch Talk co-editor Ann Cooper has launched The Lunch Box, a comprehensive online toolbox for improving school food. The site gives schools, parents and advocates everything they need to switch from processed foods to healthy, from-scratch cooking in a cost-effective manner. Resources range from recipes and ...
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August 25, 2009
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