Child Nutrition Update - September 2020 |
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National Honey Month – North Dakota ranks #1!! In the production of honey in the U.S.
Ag in the Classroom Day (in the past, Pride of Dakota Day) -Thursday, Sept 17 – Honor North Dakota agriculture in your healthy school meals by featuring one or more locally grown products on your menu. Let us know if you need help in marketing your meal. We can provide fast facts and interesting information for your students and household newsletters.
Whole Grains Month – there is a Whole Grains Council that offers many resources to observe Whole Grains month including recipes, activity sheets and a list of unique grains that qualify as whole grain. https://wholegrainscouncil.org
National Food Safety Month – and SERV Safe is 30 years old. SERV Safe is marking the occasion with posters, activity sheets and more on their website at: NFSM 2020 Downloadable content Use them for quick staff trainings and log each in Professional Development.
Johnny Appleseed’s birthday on September 26: Have fun with John Chapman’s birthday and the bountiful crop of apples coming in around the state. Following is a link to just one idea to commemorate the American icon’s birth date that counts for ½ cup fruit and ¼ ounce grain per serving:
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North Dakota Crunch Off – October 5-9 – Crunch a carrot, crispy cucumber, colorful cruciferous or an apple during this week and help North Dakota bring home the Crunch off Crown.
October 5-9 is the “Apple Crunch” challenge with October 7 th as the official ‘Crunch Off Day”. This year, the challenge is going above and beyond the apple to include anything that crunches – carrots, cucumbers, jicama. The Fresh fruit and vegetable program snack time could also be in on the Crunch Off. Link to Crunch Off Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/535866Q
For more information on the Crunch Off Contest contact Deb Egeland. WE really want to beat Nebraska (and SD, MT, MO, CO, WY, KS) so give the link to local businesses as well. We are judged on how many people register per capita.
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A Note About Procurement and CN Labels |
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By now, you have a couple of weeks of menus in your production records. It is not only a hope BUT a requirement that you have child nutrition labels or product formulation statements and/or recipes for each of the entrees, meats/meat alternates and grains and breads that are commercially prepared and served on your menu. This is the only way for you, the students and their parents, your state agency and federal government to know that what you served meets the meal pattern that you agreed to follow in order to receive reimbursement money from USDA.
Remember to use your food bid as a resource! Your distributor should provide you the necessary information for the food items you are requesting for school use. If your salesperson suggests an entree, make sure to ask for the CN label or product formulation statement. If the product does not have either of these, ask for a product that does.
If you are on the ND School Food Coop bid, all the food items on the bid have crediting labels/statements located on the NDESC website at the following link: https://www.ndesc.org/Page/1511
If you are confused about where to find the menu documentation you need, help is only an email or phone call away. Please email at dpicnfd@nd.gov or call 701-328-2294 or 888-338-3663.
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A Menu for SFSP When Only Substitute Workers Are Available To Run The Kitchen |
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We have had a few requests for a shelf stable breakfast and lunch menu to have available if all the cooks end up quarantined. These would be items that could be purchased and put in a back corner of the storage room with instructions for whoever is available to serve the kids.
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Food Safety Certification Reminder |
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For those that have new kitchen managers or you are a new kitchen manager, please send a copy of your Sanitation Certification to our office (either email at dpicnfd@nd.gov or fax to 701-328-9566). This information is tracked in ND Foods.
Sanitation certification is part of the job requirement for site managers. If you have not completed this training through the health department, restaurant association, food distributor company or several other organizations, there is one specifically for School Nutrition Professionals at the Institute of Child Nutrition (theicn.org) called “Food Safety in Schools”. It is free but does take about 8 hours to complete. Taking this online version allows you to complete the training on multiple days rather than attending a day-long session. Please email the office if you need further help accessing this important requirement on food safety.
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Professional Development Opportunities |
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We are always asked for “NEW” recipes to use in school…..here you go!
Healthy School Recipes is offering a free training sponsored by the Washington Red Raspberry Commission on September 17th starting at 2 p.m. CT entitled “Flavor Bursts for Schools”. It will feature 3 school chefs who have taste-tested their raspberry recipes with students. These sweet-tart fruits are not just for dessert anymore! Raspberries are available both fresh and frozen from your food distributor and may add something different to your school menu. Check it out at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3454334990363883280
Remember, as you scan through the toolkit OR take in the webinar, log your time as professional development for SY20-21.
For those needing OR wanting to update the sanitation certification, remember you can accumulate 3 continuing education certificates from Food Safety trainings through this year (equaling 3 hours) from the Institute of Child Nutrition or School Nutrition Association or your local health department to earn the 3 hour update that is required every 5 years after the initial certification.
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Fresh Fruits and Vegetables |
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Potatoes are being harvested across the great state of North Dakota. Last year, that was 2.3 billion (yes, with a ‘B’) pounds putting North Dakota in the 5th spot of the nation behind Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin and Oregon. As the potatoes are lifted from their bed, they are sorted by size. The Ag Marketing Service has a nice table for calculating how many ounces each potato is in the case you are ordering. A 120-count potato must be at least 4 ounces, up to 8 ounces with an average of 6 ounces.
The ‘Food Buyer’s Guide’ agrees with this: Potatoes, fresh White or Russet 120 Count, about 6 ounces – 1 whole, baked potato (about ½ cup vegetable)
You might consider doing a taste test between the starchy russet, a buttery Yukon gold and crisply sweet, red-skinned potatoes.
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Non Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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