Gooding & Shoshone School Meals Meet Tough New Nutrition Standards

GOODING - As Gooding & Shoshone school district students return to school this fall, they’ll find healthy new choices in their school cafeterias.

Gooding & Shoshone School Districts will be serving school meals that meet tough new federal nutrition standards, ensuring that meals are healthy, well-balanced and provide students all the nutrition they need to succeed at school.

School meals offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins and grains, and they must meet strict limits for saturated fat and portion size.  Starting this fall, school lunches will meet additional standards requiring:

• Age-appropriate calorie limits
• Larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must take at least one serving of produce)
• A wider variety of vegetables, including dark green and red/orange vegetables and legumes
• Fat-free or 1% milk (flavored milk must be fat-free)
• More whole grains
• And less sodium

“We’re always working and looking to offer our students healthier and tastier choices,” said Anji Baumann, Director of Child Nutrition.  “In addition to meeting new nutrition standards, we’re also incorporating more locally grown foods, innovative new menu options, establishing chef relationships, increasing marketing efforts, and increasing our nutrition education.”

School meals are a great value and a huge convenience for busy families.  Gooding lunch prices, Elementary-$2.15; Middle School-$2.40; High School-$2.65.  Shoshone lunch prices, Elementary-$1.90; Middle & High School-$2.15.  Reduced lunch is .40.  Applications for free/reduced lunch are available in your school office and online.  Both districts, are currently accepting new applications for the 2012-13 school year.  Breakfast is served Free to all students in Gooding & Shoshone School Districts.

To find out more about Gooding & Shoshone School District’s healthy school meals call 208-934-4321, ext. 104 or visit www.goodingschools.org and www.shoshone.k12.id.us

Just as learning does not end when school lets out, neither does a child's need for good nutrition.  The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free, nutritious meals to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow, throughout the summer months when they are out of school.

SFSP meal sites operate in low-income areas where at least half of the children come from families with incomes at or below 185 percent of the Federal poverty level.   Meals are served free to any child at the open site and ALL CHILDREN 18 and younger, regardless of income status, receive free meals through SFSP.

The Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administers SFSP at the Federal level.  State education agencies administer the program in most States.  In some areas, the State health or social service department or an FNS regional office may be designated.   Locally, SFSP is run by approved sponsors, including school districts, local government agencies, camps, or private nonprofit organizations.  Sponsors provide free meals to a group of children at a central site, such as a school or a community center.  They receive payments from USDA, through their State agencies, for the meals they serve.                                                                                                                                                                            

SFSP reimbursements are now based on the number of reimbursable meals served multiplied by the combined operating and administrative rate for that meal.  In other words, the more meals served, the more beneficial to our Child Nutrition Program’s operating balance.  By taking advantage of this federally funded program, we are able to successfully operate the Gooding & Shoshone Child Nutrition Programs in the black without having to depend on school district general funds.   At the same time, we are nourishing children in the process, which proves to be the most important and rewarding thing we do each and everyday.

For those who haven’t taken advantage of this great program we encourage and invite you to join us for lunch, there are still a few more weeks to go.  Summer meals are served at East Park in Gooding from 12-1:15pm daily, and will continue through August 10, 2012.  Shoshone summer meals are served at the City Park.  All children 1-18 qualify for a free meal, but federal regulations require meals be consumed on site.  Adults are welcome to purchase a lunch for $3.60.  If you have somewhere to go and no time to eat at the park, don’t worry, you can purchase student “to go” meals for $2.50.                     

What Every Parent Should Know..................

•     One in three children is either overweight or obese which is bad for their health and makes it hard for them to do their best in school and other activities

•     This year, school meals are getting healthier.  They now contain more whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk dairy products, and less sodium and fat.  Schools are offering meals that do a better job of giving your child the nutrition they need.

•     Eating healthier can help your children do better in school and other activities. As any teacher will tell you, well-nourished kids perform better in class and are ready to learn. When we give kids plenty of healthy food choices and regular physical activity at school, they learn healthier habits for life.

•     There is no power like mom power. The school day just got healthier thanks to updated school meal standards that do more to support the nutritious choices you offer at home. Encourage your child to check out these new meals and find their favorites.

•     Parents Have the Power to build a healthy plate.  At home you do what you can to make sure your kids eat healthier and stay active. But since they spend so much of their day at school, your influence is needed there, too.  Talk with your child about the new fruit, vegetable, whole-grain, and milk offerings available at school this year.  The School Day Just Got Healthier. Together we can make a healthy difference.

What Every Student Should Know..................

•     The School Day Just Got Healthier because school meals are different this year.  They are better for you and will help you do your best in school, sports, and other activities.  Power up with fruits, low-fat milk, and whole grains. Give them a try!

•     Since you spend so much of your day at school, it’s up to you to make healthy food choices while you’re there. Eat fruits and veggies at meals and snacks. Eat smart to play hard!

What Every Child Nutrition Employee Should Know......

•     Thank you for making the school day a healthy day for your students.

•     Now’s the time to share what you know. Nobody knows more than you, or has done more, to make school menus healthier. Now it’s time to take your knowledge beyond the cafeteria and share with others how school meals are healthier than ever.

•     It takes a community. Healthy change takes a school-wide effort. That’s why USDA is reaching out to teachers, principals, parents, students, and communities to let them know about the changes to school meals. You can help, too, by highlighting the tasty new options on your menu and talking with parents at back-to-school nights.

•     Before they’ll eat it, first they need to see it. Put healthier new meal offerings where kids are most likely to choose them. Place vegetables first on the line. Use an attractive display for fruit.  Involve students in creating fun names for new entrées.

•     Sometimes new foods take time. Students (and school staff) don’t always take to new foods right away. Try hosting a tasting event where students and teachers can vote on their favorites. Announce the winners and include them on your menus. The School Day Just Got Healthier – taste the difference.

What Every Administrator Should Know................

•     Research shows that kids who have healthy eating patterns and get regular physical activity are more likely to perform better academically. These healthy habits may also play a role in helping kids with greater concentration, better attendance, better classroom behavior, better self-esteem, and lower obesity rates.

•     Let students and staff see you making healthy food choices and being active every day.

•     Let everyone know that healthier food choices and physical activity are important to you and the whole school. Talk it up at staff meetings, Back to School Night, or the next parent’s association meeting. Encourage teachers, staff, students and parents to participate in the school wellness council and share best practices. The School Day Just Got Healthier.

•     Meeting the new meal standards will mean more money from USDA to support school meals.  Schools will receive an additional 6 cents for each school lunch meeting the new standards.

What America Should Know..................

•     With almost one in five children obese and many children consuming at least half their calories in schools, we must work together to make the school day healthier – with healthier food, more exercise, and nutrition education.  The USDA is doing its part by making the meals 32 million children eat each day healthier, providing additional funds to schools which meet the new healthy meal standards, providing nutrition education resources, and recognizing those schools leading the way in fighting obesity through its HealthierUS School Challenge.

•     Established in 2004, the HealthierUS School Challenge has recognized thousands of schools across America for their efforts in improving food and beverage offerings; teaching kids about nutritious food choices and being physically active; providing opportunities for physical activity, and having supportive school wellness policies.

•     The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is a great win for our nation’s kids – and their parents. Valuable feedback from parents and nutrition advocates helped shape new standards which are now in effect.

**On a side note, in 2004, Gooding was the first school in the West to achieve the “Gold Award” in the Healthier US School Challenge and the first in the Nation to achieve the “gold of distinction” award in 2009.  Gooding will apply for the HealthierUS challenge again in the 2012-13 school year under the new regulations.

**For the past 3 years, Gooding School District Superintendent, Dr. Heather Williams has served on a National Advisory Council for NSFMI & FNS (National School Food Service Management Institute and Food & Nutrition Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

**Director of Child Nutrition, Anji Baumann, CDM, CFPP, is an SNA (School Nutrition Association) spokesperson, a member of the Idaho Farm to School Advisory Panel, and participated on a USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) task force for section 305, as part of the Healthy & Hunger Kids Free Act of 2010.

In the cafeteria, students scoop up unlimited servings of fruits and vegetables at the “Healthy Choice Bar,” which was the key to our success in more than doubling fruit and vegetable consumption in our cafeterias. Much of the produce is locally grown (our current seasonal selection includes tomatoes, sweet corn on the cob, bell peppers, pluots, cantaloupe and grapes). Lunches also feature fish from a local hatchery and Idaho grown potatoes with topping like low-fat cheese, fat-free sour cream, salsa, olives, chopped broccoli, home-made chili, ground turkey and beef and cottage cheese.

The Food Services staff likes to prepare many of their entrees and most baked goods from scratch using whole grain ingredients and absolutely no fryers. The team even came up with a healthy treat – they substitute pureed beans for some of the oil in the chocolate cake, and the students don’t even notice the difference.

Gooding Schools do more than just serve up healthy meals – they’ve eliminated the junk food in school vending machines and they are working to educate students and families on the benefits of good nutrition and exercise through initiatives like our school wide walking program, an annual community walk, “Walk to School Day” and Idaho Healthy Harvest.

**Read this article at: http://www.traytalk.org/success_story/idaho-elementary-students-scoop-up-healthy-choices**