Nutrition Program Bulletin for Week of October 21, 2019

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Nutrition Program Bulletin – Week of October 21, 2019

Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section you're interested in by clicking the link.


Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

Resources for Ounce Equivalents Available

Ounce equivalent information for bread, biscuits, rolls, muffins and other bread-like grain food items is available in the Grain Product Portion Guide and Grain Crediting Chart for the CACFP. These resources will help you transition to ounce equivalents before the October 1, 2021, deadline. Servings of rice, pasta, cereal grains, and cooked grains are not affected by the transition to ounce equivalents.

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School Nutrition Programs (SNP)

Farm to School Training for School Nutrition Professionals

The Farm to School program offers multiple strategies to improve the health of students and communities. Join other school nutrition professionals in your region to discuss successful Farm to School strategies at any of these upcoming training sessions in December:

  • December 3, 2019; 9 a.m. to noon – Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Roseville, MN
  • December 10, 2019; 9 a.m. to noon – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bemidji, MN
  • December 18, 2019; 1 to 4 p.m. – Watonwan County/St. James Public Library, Saint James, MN

Register for the December Farm to School Trainings.

These trainings will also cover where to find local foods in your area, how to connect with farmers, ways to promote and market your Farm to School initiatives and how to move Farm to School beyond the cafeteria. Spend time learning from and networking with your colleagues.

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Changes to “Tuesdays @ 2” Webinars

The State of Minnesota is consolidating all agency WebEx accounts into one account at the end of October 2019. WebEx is the platform used to host the “Tuesdays @ 2” webinars, so this change will affect the webinar schedule as follows:

  • The October 22, 2019, session “Tips and Strategies for Recruiting School Nutrition Program Staff” is canceled and will not be rescheduled.
  • A new Tuesdays @ 2 document with updated registration links will be available on the MDE website next week (the week of October 28). Be sure to use the links from the new document to register for future sessions. The document will be posted on the SNP Training and Professional Standards webpage.
  • If you are currently registered for Tuesdays @ 2 sessions, you will be receiving a confirmation email with an updated link to join the session by the end of the week

The functionality of the new platform does not require any changes to the computer you view the webinar on. The only difference is that all Tuesdays @ 2 sessions will now be hosted in the new Minnesota State WebEx site instead of the MDE WebEx site.

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SNP Training Survey – Your Opinion Matters

The Minnesota Department of Education’s Team Nutrition program would like to learn more about your training needs as they relate to School Nutrition Programs. Please fill out the SNP training survey before October 30, 2019. It will take no longer than 10 minutes.

Food service directors, managers, and program staff are encouraged to complete the survey. Please share the link with other staff that work with School Nutrition Programs. The results help inform in-person and online trainings that will be offered over the next one to three years.

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USDA Foods in Schools banner

Serving Up USDA Foods Photo Contest

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the fourth annual photo contest! We want to see how you are “Serving Up USDA Foods” in your school meals! The contest begins November 1, 2019, and ends January 15, 2020, at 10:59 p.m. CT.

Inspire other child nutrition professionals and submit a picture of your most creative meal utilizing direct-delivered USDA Foods. It could be a breakfast or a lunch meal. With over 200 USDA Foods items available, we want to highlight the innovative ways in which they can be used.

Show us how you use USDA Foods proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy to liven up your meals! Your submissions will provide child nutrition professionals with healthy, creative, student-approved meal ideas utilizing USDA Foods.

Access the 2020 Serving Up USDA Foods Photo Contest Submission Details.


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