‘Turnip the Beet’ Recognizes High-Quality Summer Meals for our Nation’s Kids
USDA Food and Nutrition Service sent this bulletin at 04/25/2018 02:28 PM EDT 
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| USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Acting Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps with Turnip the Beet winner, Idea Public Schools in San Antonio, TX on April 20, 2018. |
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| By Cindy Long, Deputy Administrator for Child Nutrition Program, Food and Nutrition Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There are millions of America’s youth who do not have access to nutritious meals when school is not in session. Offering nutritious meals to our nation’s children and teens that are appetizing, appealing and wholesome is a responsibility USDA takes very seriously. Our key partners in serving our summer feeding customers are the organizations that sponsor feeding sites in neighborhoods across the Nation. To recognize the important role of these sponsors, USDA recently announced the second annual Turnip the Beet awards. The honors celebrate the outstanding contribution of those who work so tirelessly to offer nutritious and appealing summer meals for children that meet the needs of families and local communities, and enable our young people to thrive when school is out for the summer. The program isn’t just about making sure that those in need have enough food to eat. Consistent access to nutritious food through USDA meal programs can provide important support for a child’s growth and development. Providing nutritious meals and encouraging healthy habits at a young age can help make children more likely to succeed in the future. High quality summer meals provide children with energy that prepares them to learn when they return to school in the fall. Turnip the Beet showcases sponsors of the Summer Meal Programs that have gone above and beyond to ensure their meals are both nutritious and appetizing, and meet the needs of their local communities and customers. Sponsors demonstrated excellence in a variety of ways, including: serving fresh fruit daily; conducting taste tests with the children (and incorporating the feedback into the menus); and offering nutrition education activities along with the meals. And so, as we head into another summer, we congratulate the 2017 Turnip the Beet winners, and encourage all of our program partners to partner with us to serve nutritious summer meals that meet the needs and tastes of children close to home. USDA plans to host the Turnip the Beet awards again in 2018; information on criteria and nominations will be available later this year.
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