Nutrition Program Bulletin – Week of January 11, 2021
Each section contains updates relevant to those nutrition programs. You can jump to the section by clicking the link.
Updated documents:
Child Nutrition Programs Memo School Year 2020-21
Waiver Extension for Food Service Management Contract Duration
Guidelines for Contents of Child Nutrition Program Bulk Meal Bundles for Pick-up or Delivery
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) does not recommend the use of multi-step recipes and ingredients such as beans in a dry state for bulk meal bundles due to the required preparation and cooking time of those food items. Program operators may provide bulk items as long as individual meals for each daily menu are easily identifiable.
When implementing such a meal delivery mechanism, program operators must:
- Include the required food components in the proper minimum amounts for each reimbursable meal being claimed.
- Ensure that food items are clearly identifiable as making up reimbursable meals based on the menu.
- Provide menus with directions indicating which items are to be used for each meal and the portion sizes.
Operators should also consider that children are of different ages and vary in skills for meal preparation. They are also engaged in distance learning and may not have time for multi-step meal preparation. Thus, operators should ensure that only minimal preparation (i.e., refrigeration or reheating) is required and that food is not provided as ingredients for recipes that require chopping, mixing, soaking, or cooking to prepare each meal.
Meal Bundling
Sponsors may distribute meals for multiple days at a time, up to seven days. If your School Food Authority (SFA) is interested in providing more than seven days’ worth of meals at one time, you must first receive state agency approval. To do so, please contact our office.
Switching Sites from Open to Closed Enrolled in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
If you are interested in transitioning any SFSP sites from open to closed enrolled, please follow these steps:
- Update any community postings or advertisements that state you are providing food as an open site. For example, if you have flyers up in local grocery stores or businesses, these should be removed.
- Send an email to mde.fns@state.mn.us that includes the following information:
a. Subject line “SFA Sponsor #XXXXXXXXXX site Open to Closed”
b. Sponsor number
c. Site number of the site switching from open to closed
d. Effective date (first day) the site will be considered closed
MDE staff will update and approve your site applications in the Cyber-Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System (CLiCS). In the meantime, you may continue to serve and claim meals. For more information on open and closed site definitions, including who can receive meals under each classification, see Summer Food Service Program/Seamless Summer Option School Year 2020-21 Questions and Answers for Schools.
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New Online Training Available for CACFP Operators
Four new CACFP online interactive workshops are available on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) website with a newly developed training workbook you can print or view during each session:
- Exploring and Eliminating Choking Hazards in CACFP Menu Planning
- Family Style Meal Service – Building Better, Healthier, Menus and Eating Habits
- Navigating Special Dietary Needs
- Seasonality and CACFP Menu Planning
You will receive one credit hour of professional development when the quiz is completed following each workshop. These sessions are also approved by Develop – Your Career Development Tracker.
These workshops were made possible by a USDA Meal Pattern Training Grant.
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Face Coverings
Guidance regarding face covering requirements was recently updated. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Planning Guide for Schools requires all students and staff to wear a face covering when in school buildings, district offices, or riding on school transportation vehicles. It strongly recommends districts and charter schools require staff to wear a face covering and a face shield together whenever possible during the school day. The guidance also states that food service workers licensed by MDH or a local health department may follow the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan Requirements for Restaurants and Bars, which allows workers to wear face shields when a cloth covering cannot be worn – such as when working in hot kitchens. If you have any questions about face coverings or other COVID-19 issues, please contact your local health sanitarian.
Tuesdays @ 2 Webinars
Join school nutrition staff for a training webinar every Tuesday at 2 p.m. Read session descriptions and register for Tuesdays @ 2 webinars. There is no webinar on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
- Creating Minnesota Harvest of the Month (January 19, 2021)
- Dealing with Stress and Uncertainty (February 2, 2021)
-
Ready, Set, Shop (February 9, 2021)
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Apply for an AGRI Farm to School Grant
Two tiers of Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Farm to School grants are available through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture: AGRI First Bite Mini Grants and AGRI Full Tray Grants. The grant funding supports public or private school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program and serve food to K-12 students. School districts serving sovereign nations are encouraged to apply. Both application deadlines are due at 4 p.m. on January 21, 2021.
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