News & Notes
Time to Plan for Successful FY 2025 Nutrition Education Activities!
$4 million in FDPIR nutrition education administrative funds will be available in FY 2025. Tribes interested in receiving these funds should complete the FDPIR Nutrition Education Plan Template to help FNS understand how much funding they would like to request, and what activities may be held in the coming year. Looking for ideas? Consider some of the activities that were popular in the last fiscal year:
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Hire staff to organize and implement nutrition education programs.
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Create handouts, calendars, and videos that show participants how to prepare FDPIR foods and traditional foods for healthy and tasty meals.
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Host gardening education programs that help participants learn how to grow food using sustainable practices.
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Support travel to national, state, and local conferences and meetings focused on nutrition and health.
Remember, nutrition education administrative funds distributed in FY 2023 expire on September 30, 2024!
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Featured Food
Summertime Snacks When You’re on the Go
Summer can mean figuring out a healthy snack that can travel with you. The Fruit and Nut Mix is an excellent option that tastes great, is packed with protein and fiber, and doesn't need to be kept hot or cold when you’re on the move. The fruit and nut mix is more than a snack! Use it as a topping for cereals or salads for a satisfying crunch with a bit of sweetness. To learn more about the nutrition in the fruit and nut mix and to see more ideas on how to use it, check out the Fruit and Nut Mix Product Information Sheet.
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Resource Round-up
Update to MyPlate and Discover the Start Simple with MyPlate App
MyPlate recently celebrated its 13th birthday! MyPlate replaced the Food Guide Pyramid in 2011, and can be customized to fit your dietary needs, preferences, cultural traditions, and budget ― so you can enjoy your favorite recipes and eat the healthy foods you love. Want to learn more about MyPlate and how it can help you enjoy healthier eating? Watch this short video or head over to the new MyPlate campaign hub. You can also use the Start Simple with MyPlate app to pick simple daily food goals, see real-time progress, and earn badges along the way. This easy-to-use app can help you make positive changes to achieve a healthier life overall.
USDA Foods are selected with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate in mind, ensuring program participants have access to healthy, nutritious foods to build their meals. We even design the Foods Available Lists to align with the food groups on MyPlate to make it easy for program operators to select a variety of foods to meet their clients’ needs. Check out the MyPlate resources and share them with program recipients to help them create healthy, delicious meals with their USDA Foods at home.
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Visit the USDA Foods Nutrition Education Resource Library for Colorful Posters, Stickers, Recipe Cards, and More!
Posters: Brighten the walls of your warehouse or grocery store with these posters.
Recipe Cards: Need a recipe for an item in the food package? These colorful recipe cards come in a pack of 10 and often highlight traditional foods available in FDPIR.
Magnets: Promote the use of food thermometers to check the internal temperature of fish, meats, poultry, eggs, and casseroles with this food safety magnet.
Shelf Talkers: Informative and fun, display these small signs next to items around your store. Each shelf talker promotes healthy eating habits with FDPIR foods, such as eating whole grains, choosing colorful fruits and vegetables, cutting back on salt, and much more!
Brochure: Community members may need more information about FDPIR. Use this tri-fold brochure to provide details about what is offered in the FDPIR food package, eligibility, and how to enroll.
Please note that resources cannot be shipped to a P.O. Box and will take 2-3 weeks for delivery. If you have any questions, please contact us at USDAFoods@usda.gov.
FDPIR Nutrition Education recipe cards and shelf-talkers
Program Spotlight
2024 Mountain Plains Regional FDPIR Conference attendees
Tribal Nations Gather to Support and Celebrate FDPIR in the Mountain Plains Region
By Gina O’Brian, RDN; Regional Senior/Lead Nutritionist at USDA FNS - Mountain Plains Regional Office
Close to 80 FDPIR directors and staff from the Mountain Plains Region gathered in Lakewood, Colorado, May 6-9 for the 2024 Mountain Plains Regional FDPIR Conference. This annual conference was the first since the pandemic. It felt like a long-awaited reunion of friends and colleagues passionate about improving nutrition security in tribal communities. This year’s gathering was also a welcome opportunity to express gratitude and best wishes to retiring FNS Regional Administrator, Cheryl Kennedy.
Together with Regional Board President Marisa Fuller of Omaha Nation, Vice President Blake Garrison of Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and Secretary Mary Greene Trottier of Spirit Lake Tribe; Mountain Plains Regional Office staff surveyed the region on desired agenda topics that included inventory management, dual participation, policy updates, management evaluation preparation, Sygnal and IFMS technology, certification, budgeting, financial management, nutrition education, and food safety. Participants were able to learn, network, and share tips and strategies throughout the conference. The highly regarded Rex Hailey, who traveled to Colorado from Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, provided successful forklift training, with a little cooperation from Colorado Spring weather!
Much appreciation goes out to the Color Guard Presentation by Rex Hailey and Garrett Burgess from Seminole Nation and Tony Zimiga from Oglala Sioux Tribe; Prayer and Song by Wilbur White Mouse from Oglala Sioux Tribe; and icebreaker and team building activities by FNS Division Director Jim Cross and FNS Regional Administrator Cheryl Kennedy. The exhibitors were also appreciated, including a full display of FDPIR resources from the USDA Foods Nutrition Education Resource Library, resources from Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, food sovereignty inspiration and resources from Denver-area Native American eatery, Tocabe owner Ben Jacobs, and featured displays of nutrition education materials from Standing Rock Sioux Nation, Spirit Lake Tribe, and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
A highlight of the conference included sharing strategies and ideas for providing nutrition education, well-timed as tribes prepare to request fiscal year 2025 Nutrition Education Funds this August. Creative and effective nutrition education projects and ideas were an inspiration to all who attended:
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- Blackfeet Nation talked about ongoing nutrition education for participants which includes gathering favorite FDPIR food recipes from clients, featuring those recipes through cooking demos, and distributing recipes in food packages. Especially popular are recipes for pizza dough and Instant Pot bison chili.
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- Lower Brule Sioux Tribe shared plans for expanding their teaching kitchen, creating a raised-bed teaching garden, and creating nutrition education curriculum for the youth of FDPIR families – including elementary and high school students.
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- Spirit Lake Tribe shared gardening curriculum, MyPlate nutrition education notebooks and curriculum, recipes, as well as strategies for collaborating with other tribal public health partners to create healthy policies and improve overall nutrition services to community members.
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- Winnebago Tribe shared how valued and meaningful their cookbook translated into the Ho-Chunk language has been for community members, as well as a library of publicly available cooking videos at Winnebago Food Distribution Program - YouTube.
- Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe talked about their nutrition handouts, recipe and cooking demo ideas – including very popular buffalo sliders! Discussion included plans to revitalize the community teaching garden and possibly a year-round tower herb garden.
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- Standing Rock Sioux Tribe provided samples and recipes of their “Red-e Made Seasonings”, in honor of the late and dearly missed Charles (Red) Gates. FDPIR staff provide nutrition education and healthy recipe cooking demonstrations using the tribally crafted spice blends, one each for beef, chicken, and fish.
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Updates on the Community Nutrition Champion Training
By Teresa Jackson, Oklahoma Tribal Engagement Partners (OKTEP), Stillwater, OK
Happy Summer! Since we last gave an update, we had one Community Nutrition Champion Training (CNCT) in Portland, Oregon, in mid-May. In Portland, we trained 10 Champions from 7 tribal nations representing the Southwest and Western Regions of FNS.
 A Portland Champion shared, “I would recommend this training to others because it will help a lot of FDPIR employees get more engaged with their community members who receive food.” When Portland Champions were asked, "Would you recommend this training to others in similar FDPIR positions to you?" Champions responded that they would and commented on the “benefit in explaining the values of what kind of service FDPIR does for our communities,” and “We need to be knowledgeable about our food products.” Another Champion shared, “The amount of information taken from this conference can enhance, simplify and improve our nutrition education presentations.”
We just had a successful training in Duluth, Minnesota, in mid-July, and up next, we'll be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in September. Stay tuned for FY 2025 CNCT dates and locations!
FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Projects
FNS is excited to announce that Round 1 Tribes in the FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project have been offered extensions for the period of performance to June 2026. FNS also offered additional funding to some of the Round 1 Tribes with low remaining funds. The demonstration project allows participating Tribes to enter into self-determination contracts to purchase USDA Foods for the FDPIR food package for their Tribe. A few requirements associated with the tribally procured foods, including that they are domestically sourced and are of a similar or higher nutritional value as the food(s) being replaced.
Tribes participating in the demonstration project have procured a variety of foods including lake trout, walleye, wild rice, Alaskan halibut, crab, pecans, dry hominy, carrots, squash, and much more. Some Round 1 Tribes also used the contract extension/additional funding opportunity to reevaluate food selection or vendors and change some foods offered through the project.
Photo from Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Self-Determination Project.
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Lummi Nation, a Round 1 Tribe, provides salmon, halibut, prawns/shrimp, and crab instead of the USDA catfish and walleye. Photos of Lummi’s project can be seen here. The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, also a Round 1 Tribe, provides frozen white fish, potatoes, lettuce, apples, radishes, smoked fish, and much more. Photos of Red Cliff’s project can be seen here.
Photo from Lummi Nation Self-Determination Project.
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Share Your Good Nutrition News!
FNS wants to share the good news about nutrition education in Indian Country! We know tribes are creating exciting resources and activities using nutrition education administrative funds, and we would love to hear about your projects and share what you are proud of with other tribal communities.
Sharing resources, best practices, and nutrition education stories can help those who may not have started nutrition education activities get ideas and learn who they can contact for support, advice, and collaboration. If you are interested in sharing your resources or nutrition education activities, please send a brief description of your nutrition education successes to your FNS Regional Offices anytime – we welcome photos, examples of materials, and website links, too! With YOUR stories, we can make FDPIR Good Nutrition News a regular feature in this e-letter!
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Conference Clips
June Tribal Consultations: USDA and Tribal Leaders Consultation Work Group Meet in Cherokee, North Carolina
On June 5-6, 2024, USDA FNS staff and Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean attended multiple Tribal consultations in Cherokee, North Carolina, including a meeting on self-determination in food and nutrition programs hosted by the Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) and an FDPIR consultation with the Tribal Leaders Consultation Work Group (TLCWG). FNS appreciates the opportunity to work with Tribal leaders to cover topics including updates to the FDPIR food package, USDA DoD Fresh, the Integrated Food Management System (IFMS), and self-determination contracts in FDPIR.
While in Cherokee, USDA FNS staff also visited the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian’s new food distribution facility, which included a new cannery, kitchen, and delivery truck. Cherokee Tribal Foods Distribution staff shared innovations they’ve made and challenges they’ve faced while expanding their facility. Additional information about this consultation can be found here.
New Cherokee Tribal Foods Distribution Facility & Tribal Cannery Center
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