LISD School Nutrition: August/September Newsletter

Transcription

1 L E A N D E R I S D LISD School Nutrition: August/September Newsletter V O L U M E 1, I S S U E 1 A U G U S T 2 6, UPCOMING EVENTS Welcome Back! Welcome Back Special: August 26-30: During the first week of school, all elementary, middle, and high school students get a free Nestle PureVida bottled water with their school meal. September 13: Lucky Friday: At all elementary students, random The Leander ISD Child Nutrition team has been working hard all summer, and we are excited to welcome you back into the school year! We have made many new improvements to our school breakfast and lunch programs. Here are a few things that you will be seeing during the year: Whole Muscle Chicken Local El Lago Tortillas Gluten Free Menu Options Revamped Fresh Fruit and Salad Bar Local Fruits and Vegetables New Product Samplings and Farmer s Markets Nutrition Education Programs Roving Chefs New Interactive Website Ask the Dietitian lucky students will be chosen to win a healthy snack with their school meal. September is Watermelon Month! Your child at all grade levels will learn about the nutritional benefits of watermelon. They will also be able to enjoy this tasty summer treat on the salad bar on September 3 and September 27. September December Kale Education Special. As part of our Nutrition Education Program, we will be educating and sampling baked kale chips during lunch at every school. Please check the CNS online calendar for the kale program in your child s school What s Happening: Summer Feeding What s Happening : Summer Feeding As a way of giving back to the community, LISD s continued our tradition of participating in the Summer Feeding Program. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was established to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals even when school is not in session. Free meals, that meet federal nutrition guidelines, are provided to all children under 18 years old through this program. We served an average of 430 meals every day from 7 different locations around the LISD community. This means that we served approximately 13,000 meals throughout the summer. Leander ISD is proud to be considered one of the best Summer Feeding Programs by the regional summer feeding expert from the Texas Hunger Initiative. We would like to thank our Child Nutrition team for all of their hard work in making our Summer Feeding Program a success! We will continue to expand our summer feeding sites in the following years. If you have a suggestion for a potential summer feeding site, please mark.schraub@leanderisd.org From June 10th to August 9th, Leander ISD Child Nutrition provided free summer breakfasts and lunches for children ages 1-18.

2 PAGE 2 Is the Food Really Different? Q & A We now serve whole muscle chicken products at the highest quality We in Leander ISD are proud to serve a made-from-scratch pizza recipe You may have heard your children commenting about how the school food tastes different. They are correct, the food is different. Due to the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act, USDA mandated changes in all school food around the country. This is the first major change in school meals in 15 years, At the start of the fall of 2012, tighter restrictions were placed on school food at both the state and national level. These changes included caloric and saturated fat restrictions, trans fat restrictions, whole grain requirements, and sodium limitations. Below are a few of the questions that we have heard from you last year, and we would like to address these concerns: The school food tastes different this year; not even the chicken nuggets taste the same! The old chicken nuggets did not meet the new regulations. The governmental regulations require all breads to be either whole wheat or whole grain rich. Surprisingly, this includes the breading on all breaded products, including the chicken nuggets. Although the chicken nuggets are now nutritionally superior to the old nuggets, the taste of the chicken nuggets may have changed. Fortunately, we have tested the best products on the market that meet these new requirements, and we now serve whole muscle chicken products at the highest quality, What about the size of the meals? The portions have gotten smaller! The new regulations now have a caloric limit, and the limit varies according to each age group. Unfortunately, this means that the quantity of food that was once served may not comply with the regulations due to their caloric content. However, we encourage your children to take all of the offered vegetable and fruit sides, as these items have been included in the calorie and menu planning. Many students only choose the required one side item even when they are allowed to take more. Please remind your children that fruits and vegetables have the essential nutrients and fiber that keep them healthy and full. The pizza isn t the same; the crust isn t as fluffy or crispy, and there s too much cheese on it This change has two explanations: the crust of the pizza must now either be whole wheat or whole grain rich, and this may affect the texture of the pizza. Whole grains are naturally denser than their white counterparts, and this change can alter the texture of the crust. They also have a slightly different taste that your children may not be used to. The new regulations also increased the minimum amount of meat and meat alternates per entrée at each grade level. In turn, we had to increase the amount of cheese in the pizza in order to meet the requirements. Leander ISD Child Nutrition is proud to serve a made-from-scratch pizza recipe that has been tested and approved to best meet these requirements and have the best finishing quality. School food all across the country has and will continue to be affected by these new guidelines as the regulations tighten even more during the next five years. Leander ISD Child Nutrition will continue to prepare and food with the best interests of your children in mind through our sampling, surveys, and focus groups. If you have any feedback about child nutrition, please contact us through our website at leanderisd.org. LISD SCHOOL NUTRITION:

3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 Internet Radio Music Boxes We know that high school can be a challenging environment. In an effort to reduce the tension in a stressful day, we have installed internet radio in the cafeterias at all LISD high schools. We are streaming schoolapproved music stations through the café sound system during lunch hours. We also have the ability to add music to your events in the café as well. Just let us know and we can turn it on and tune it to Local Tortillas your favorite station. We piloted this program at Vandegrift, and Cedar Park High in the second half of the school year with great success and positive feedback from students, teachers, and administrators. Come to the café for delicious food and some great tunes. PAGE 3 For your child s listening pleasure, Internet Radio boxes have been installed at all high schools and will be playing schoolapproved music After a long, hard search, we have found an authentic local tortilla company based in right here in our Austin neighborhood: El Lago. One of the largest priorities of Leander ISD Child Nutrition is to serve only wholesome, nutrientrich foods, and El Lago surpasses our criteria in taste, nutrition, and sustainability. Starting this fall, all of our tortillas and tortilla products in all schools will be provided by El Lago. The corn in El Lago s tortillas and chips are non-gmo certified, (Genetically Modified Organisms) and their masa contains only lime, corn and water. The folks at El Lago have been making tortillas and chips in Austin since 1967! The Austin home for their tortilla factory is located just east of I-35. They have been supplying tortillas and chips to many of the well known Mexican restaurants for decades, and now we are proud to say that, they are our newest partners! Try our Mexican creations inspired by El Lago in the café today! Revamped Fruit and Salad Bar Our Fruit and Salad Bars have been improved and revamped to include a larger variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that will be rotated throughout each month. Our fruit and vegetable selection process is determined based on the harvest season, freshness of the produce, and where it is sourced. This month our seasonal fruits will be rotated with grapes, watermelon, strawber- ries, blueberries, cantaloupe, and peaches. We are also now offering our students fresh fruit, canned fruit, and fruit juice as fruit options every day for breakfast and lunch. The fresh vegetables on our salad bar will be rotated on a weekly basis. Our current vegetable selection will include carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach salad mix, celery, and tomatoes.

4 PAGE 4 Recipe of the month: Kale Chips Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, fiber, and carotenoids. It also has 45 different flavonoids and vitamins with a variety of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. Kale may have a slightly strong flavor, but making them into chips creates an enjoyable, crispy snack. As part of our Nutrition Education Program, Leander ISD Child Nutrition will be educating and sampling kale chips during lunch at every school. Please check the CNS online calendar for the kale program in your child s school. Ingredients: 1 bunch kale 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon seasoned salt ie sheet with parchment paper. 2. With a knife or kitchen shears, carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt. As part of our Nutrition Education Program, SFE Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cook- 3. Bake until the edges are brown but not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. Leander will be educating and sampling Kale Chips during lunch at every school. Please check Roving Chef Program the CNS online calendar for the Kale program in your child s school. Leander ISD Child Nutrition prides itself in nutrition and culinary education. We believe that in order to fight ongoing childhood obesity, we need to help children develop a healthy relationship with food. We do this by educating children on all aspects of food from the farm, to the planning and preparation, to the actual cooking, and then to the finished product. At the end of last year, we piloted the Roving Chef Program in the elementary schools. We taught your children a variety of cooking The students at Whitestone Elementary make Italian Salad techniques and recipes, including Italian Salad, BBQ Roasted Chicken, Enchiladas, and Specialty Sandwiches. This year our district chefs will continue this program with a larger curriculum of food safety and cooking techniques. We are excited to be expanding this interactive program, and we hope to work with as many groups of children as possible. If you would like your child to participate in our Roving Chef Program, please contact your school administrator. LISD SCHOOL NUTRITION:

5 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 5 Meet the Dietitians Did you know that your menus are planned by Registered Dietitians? Our district dietitians have a multitude of experience and are incredibly passionate about teaching good nutrition to your kids. In Leander ISD, we know how important it is to encourage our children to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Our dietitians this year are excited to be rolling out an interactive nutrition education initiative, where our goal is to equip our students, teachers, parents, and other members of the community with the nutrition knowledge needed to enhance our lives. Curious about who our dietitians are? Here is some background information on your district dietitians! Cheryl Usry Cheryl graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor s in Dietetics. She completed her Dietetic Internship and Master s Degree in Nutrition at Texas A & M University in College Station. She has worked in another nearby school district for a number of years and has been a nutrition educator in the Central Texas area. She has worked at Leander ISD for just over one year and already loves the district. Cheryl is the parent of two children ages 9 & 12, so she knows all of the challenges of raising kids with a healthy taste palate. Ask Cheryl about what kids like to eat and how to encourage them to try new foods! Contact Cheryl at: Cheryl.Usry@Leanderisd.org Karen Lee Karen graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor s in Nutrition and Dietetics. She completed her dietetic internship in the Coordinated Program at the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught nutrition education for K-12 in various schools and summer camps around the state of Texas, and she has worked as a school lunch Certification Reviewer for the Texas Department of Agriculture. Karen is excited to now be in LISD Child Nutrition, and she is ready to jump in with Leander to lead a happy, healthy school year! Contact Karen at: Karen.Lee@Leanderisd.org Local Produce Program In partnership with Texas-based distributor, Labatt Food Service, we are proud to announce a new concept that has not been done before in other schools districts. Leander ISD Child Nutrition will now be purchasing local foods from Texas and nearby farmers whenever possible. Labatt s vendor grower direct program ensures that our vendors are top tier Texas certified growers. This means that we know where our fresh produce comes from and that we only use qualified and certified growers. This ensures the safety of our produce and supports our local economy through local farmers. This also means the fruits and vegetables that we buy will arrive faster and fresher. Starting this fall, all of our produce will be provided through Labatt. Your child will be enjoying more seasonal, fresh, and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables in their school lunch plate this year!

6 PAGE 6 Better Burgers Leander ISD Child Nutrition has upgraded the quality of our hamburgers at all grade levels. Our new burgers have absolutely no fillers, and are 100% ground beef. The bread we use has also been upgraded to a whole grain rich white wheat bun, hand selected by our very own district chefs. As always, our cafeterias will continue to provide a finishing bar for all of our hamburgers, where our students can top their burgers with as much lettuce, tomato, and veggies as they want. Our new burgers have absolutely no fillers, and are 100% ground beef. No Fry Zone and New Whole Muscle Chicken This year, we are proud to introduce a new line of nutrient-dense No Fry Zone Per Texas Nutrition Guidelines, we do not fry anything in Leander ISD Child Nutrition. All of our protein products are either baked or grilled. New Whole Muscle Chicken Unlike most other school districts who use a preformed, reconstituted chicken product, we also now only serve whole muscle chicken in our chicken entrees. Leander ISD Child Nutrition is one of the few districts anywhere to offer such a high quality product. snacks that are packed full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats. New Healthy Snacks New Baked Banana Chips We are constantly in search of new, healthy, and delicious meals and snacks to serve to our students. We know that children may need extra nourishment in between meals and classes to stay energized throughout the day, so we improved our a la carte snack selection over the summer break. This year we are proud to introduce a new line of nutrient-dense snacks that are packed full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats that will keep your children alert, focused, and ready to learn. Listed below are a few of the new snacks we will be offering this year Baked Banana Chips Dried Apricots Pepita Seeds Assorted Apple Sauces Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Raisins NEWSLETTER TITLE

7 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 7 Food Tastings Gluten-Free Menus We will be sampling food in our cafes starting the first week of school and continuing periodically throughout the year. From August 26th 30th, we have our Vendor Demo Week, where we will be sampling our new products in the cafeteria. We will also be testing new products that we may carry in the future. Students will be able to vote their preference on all sampled items in an effort to involve them in the selection process. All of our students are encouraged to taste our food samples, including those who do not purchase a school meal. We will post the dates of our food tastings in our events calendar, which can be found in the Leander ISD Child Nutrition website. Due to increased special diet needs, Leander ISD Child Nutrition now provides a special gluten-free menu that features menu options In efforts to meet increased special diet needs, Leander ISD Child Nutrition now provides a special gluten-free menu that features options that are either naturally gluten-free or can be changed to be gluten-free. These menus have been posted on our new website: name=dept.cns.main Naturally gluten-free items, as well as available gluten free options, have been labeled and highlighted. We practice caution in handling all of our special diet and glutenfree items through training and instruction, and we do our best to ensure the safety of each food item. Please remember that our schools are not a completely gluten-free environment, so use your best judgment when dining in our cafeterias. that are either naturally glutenfree or can be changed to be gluten-free. School Garden Help Are you interested in establishing a school garden at your school? School gardens are useful educational tools that teach academics and responsibility, Gardens also encourage children to try new healthy fruits and vegetables. If you are interested in starting a school garden, please give our office a call. We have a chefs on staff who is certified by the Sustainable Food Center Gardening Association and is qualified to advise and assist you in setting up your school garden. Although we currently are not able to fund the building or maintenance of your gardens, we are able to help you get started and guide you along the way. To initiate a garden project at your school, please first contact your principal for current garden projects. Contact Child Nutrition Services for garden assistance at

8 PAGE 8 Charge Policy and Alternative Meals The school kitchen prepares nutritious breakfasts and lunches daily. Students may purchase school meals, or bring lunch from home. Students who purchase school meals or bring a lunch from home may also choose to purchase other extra items (A la Carte) that are not included in a school meal. Menus are posted at each school, posted on the Leander ISD website, and are available as handouts in the cafeteria. School facilities do not ordinarily prepare individual specialty diets. If a student needs a special diet, please contact the Child Nutrition Services Registered Dietician at Breakfast is served on all campuses preceding the beginning of each school day. The meal program is maintained in all district schools on a self-supporting, non-profit basis as an optional service to LISD students. The district offers a program of free and reduced meal prices based on a student s financial need. Information on this program is available in the school office, in the Child Nutrition Office or on the Leander ISD website, (Select School Meals tab, then Free and Reduced Meals Application.) Paid and Reduced meals may be purchased on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. Prepayments can be accepted at any time with cash, check, or online through the Leander ISD website. The money is kept on the student s account and debited with each meal or extra item purchase. Student ID cards are required when purchasing meals or extra items on an account at some campuses. If elementary or middle school students do not have breakfast or lunch money available, they may charge up to $10.00 (approximately the cost of four lunch meals). All meal charges are expected to be repaid the next school day. If unpaid charges accumulate past the four meal limit, students will be provided with an alternative meal.* If high school students do not have breakfast or lunch money available, they may charge up to $5.00 (approximately the cost of two lunch meals). All meal charges are expected to be repaid the next school day. If unpaid charges accumulate past the two meal limit, students will be provided with an alternative meal.* An example of an alternative meal would be a cheese sandwich, milk, and a fruit. * Alternative meals are considered an unpaid charge and are expected to be paid when billed. NEWSLETTER TITLE

9 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 9 Lunch Price Increase Lunch prices are increasing this year by $.05 at elementary and secondary schools. There is no change to Breakfast prices. Adult lunch prices at Elementary Schools will increase by $.25 to $3.00. Adult meal prices at secondary campuses will remain the same Meal Prices: Elementary Student Breakfast $1.35 Adult Breakfast $2.00 Student Lunch $2.15 Adult Lunch $3.00 Middle and High Student Breakfast $1.60 Adult Breakfast $2.00 Student Lunch $2.40 Adult Lunch $3.25 These increases are the result of United States Department of Agriculture requirements as explained below: National School Lunch Program: School Food Service Account Revenue Amendments Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, published in the Federal Register on June 17, 2011, (76 Federal Register 35301), requires school food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program to ensure sufficient funds are provided to the nonprofit school food service account for lunches served to students not certified eligible for free or reduced price meals. The rule, and the statutory provision it is based on, Section 12(p) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 USC 1760 (p), provide two ways for SFAs to meet this requirement: either through gradually raising the prices charged for paid lunches or through providing an equivalent amount of funds from non-federal sources to the nonprofit school food service account. Knowles Summer Nutrition Project In July, Leander ISD Child Nutrition paired with the bilingual summer program at Knowles Elementary in a class wide nutrition project initiative. The students researched various hot food topics, including the dangers of junk food and food insecurity. The district chefs and dietitians then made guest appearances in the classes, teaching the students about how to choose healthy foods and how to create school-approved menus. Chef Mark and Chef Maisie teach the Knowles Summer Program about menu planning After creating 5 days worth of school -approved menus, the students had two full days of Roving Chef culinary instructions, where they learned about cooking and prepared their selected menu items for their classmates. The rest of the menus will be featured in the elementary lunch menus throughout the school year, The first Knowles menu special will be featured for lunch on Tuesday, September 3, 2013!

10 Message from the Director Southwest Foodservice Excellence, LLC (SFE) is honored and excited to partner with Leander Independent School District (LISD). We are strongly committed to the nutritional well-being of every student through providing a variety of fresh and nutritious menu selections, along with a strong focus on nutrition education and unparalleled customer service. Leander ISD participates in the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At all education levels, SFE offers several hot entrée selections and side dishes daily from our various Culinary Concepts. Throughout the school year, our Executive Chefs will roll out new, savory menu items at all campuses. Students who receive a school meal are also welcome to help themselves to our fresh fruit and vegetable bar each day at no additional cost. In addition to providing meals to the students who attend Leander schools, SFE is dedicated to nutrition education in both the classroom and the kitchen. You can find students participating in monthly promotions and programs such as our Roving Chef Program, where nutrition education meets hands-on culinary training! If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact our office at or via at Dan.Caughey@leanderisd.org. Visit us online! default.aspx?name=dept.cns.main Tips for Good Nutrition: Back to School Now that the school year has started, it is important to keep your child's health a top priority so they maintain the energy to get through the day. Here are some back to school nutrition tips: Don t forget about breakfast! Studies show breakfast eaters tend to score higher on tests, concentrate better, solve problems more easily and have better muscle coordination. LISD s school breakfast menu is designed to be filling and nutritious, promoting good health and performance in schools. All school meals, including breakfast, now have more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lower sodium foods, and less saturated fat. Keep foods interesting: Let your child try new foods; the more healthy foods they try, the more likely they will enjoy it. Leander ISD Child Nutrition is constantly offering new fruits, vegetables, and recipe creations to your children. Don t be afraid to join us and try new recipes with the family at home! Get moving: Physical activity is vital to strengthen muscle and bones, promote a healthy body weight, support learning, develop social skills and build self-esteem. Kids should be active for 60 minutes/day. Try riding bikes after dinner, play catch after work, or take the dog for a brisk walk. For more information: go to