Revised Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (CNP)

The Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) has been revised to reflect the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This important resource assists CNP operators, food manufacturers and other stakeholders with purchasing the correct amounts of foods for CNP and determining the contribution that each food makes toward meal pattern requirements. The FBG is available as a Web Tool, Mobile App and downloadable PDF.

Leadership Training for New and Aspiring SNP Directors

Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), in collaboration with Lakes Country Service Cooperative and the Cooperative Purchasing Connection, invites all new and aspiring foodservice directors in Minnesota to join them for an “Introduction to School Nutrition Leadership” training. Retired Minnesota school food service director and award-winning school nutrition leader, Annette Hendrickx Derouin, will lead the training. Register for the November 12–14 School Nutrition Leadership training.

Training Series: Successful Menu Planning for School Meals

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Team Nutrition initiative has a training series, The Road to Successful Menu Planning for School Meals, to help schools plan and implement menus that support updates to the school nutrition standards. This training series includes quarterly one-hour live (and recorded) webinars co-hosted with the ICN as well as short on-demand trainings. The Road to Successful Menu Planning for School Meals webpage currently includes a recorded one-hour webinar from September (Creating Your Road Map to School Menu Planning Success!) and four on-demand trainings (about 15 minutes each):

• Defining Added Sugars and How to Find Them on a Nutrition Facts Label
• Choosing Yogurt That is Lower in Added Sugars for School Meals
• Choosing Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Added Sugars for School Meals
• Choosing Flavored Milk That Is Lower in Added Sugars for School Meals
  
  

Whole Grain Resource for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Programs (SBP)

USDA’s Whole Grain Resource for the NSLPs and SBPs was revised to reflect the Final Rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020–25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This resource provides information on how to identify and offer foods that meet the whole grain-rich criteria for the NSLPs and SBPs and to assist in implementation of the meal pattern requirements for grains. The English version was previously shared in September, and the Spanish version is now available. Access the English version and the Spanish version.