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Reducing Sodium, Boosting Health for our Nation's Schoolchildren

July 13, 2015 Hans Billger, Public Affairs Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service

Reducing sodium in school meals is an important part of a broader effort to scale back sodium intake for all Americans. To that end, our nation’s school nutrition professionals are actively working to lower the sodium content in our children’s meals during the school day. Many schools have already...

Food and Nutrition

A Case Study in Wellness at PS 145 - Supporting Schools and Supporting Nutrition Standards

July 09, 2015 USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Mission Area

The following guest blog, part of our Cafeteria Stories series, highlights the work of Wellness in the Schools, a non-profit organization working on school nutrition in New York City. Organizations such as this can be a great resource for teachers and students in creating healthier school...

Food and Nutrition

New Web Application Helps Families Find Summer Meals in Their Communities

July 01, 2015 Audrey Rowe, Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service

USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, a federally-funded, state-administered program, last year served more than 187 million meals to children in low-income areas to ensure that they continued to receive proper nutrition throughout the summer when schools were closed. But that number represents just a...

Food and Nutrition

Urban Garden Tackles Hunger, Boosts Nutrition

June 30, 2015 Barbara Bowen, Public Affairs Specialist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Virginia

One high tunnel can’t feed the world, but it can make a world of difference in providing fresh fruits and vegetables to those with limited access to healthy foods. These plastic covered structures use natural sunlight to create more favorable conditions for vegetables and specialty crops. And for...

Food and Nutrition Farming

Team Up for School Nutrition Success

June 29, 2015 Hans Billger, Public Affairs Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service

The following guest blog highlights the important work of our partner the American Heart Association. The association is a tireless advocate for supporting nutritious options in all environments, including the workplace, grocery stores, restaurants, and schools. AHA recently participated in USDA’s...

Food and Nutrition

Behind the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative: Matt Russell

June 26, 2015 Elanor Starmer, Senior Advisor to the Secretary on Local and Regional Food Systems

“The term ‘farm to school’ involves thinking of the whole plate, so to speak. It’s about increasing the amount of local and regional foods served in school cafeterias while also increasing education and community outreach for kids, and creating market opportunities for producers.” So says Matt...

Food and Nutrition Farming

FNS Requests Feedback to Strengthen Program Integrity, Improve Technology

June 26, 2015 Hans Billger, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is committed to supporting struggling families and helping the most vulnerable Americans put food on the table. Today, over 60 percent of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants are children, elderly, or have disabilities. The WIC program –...

Food and Nutrition Technology

Lessons Learned from Farm to Summer Successes

June 25, 2015 Danielle Fleury and Kacie O'Brien, Farm to School Regional Leads, Food and Nutrition Service

As the school year draws to a close, many program operators that help keep our nation’s children nourished and active are just ramping up. When school is out, many school districts and an array of nonprofit partners step up to offer healthy summer meals through USDA’s Summer Food Service Program...

Food and Nutrition

Serving More Summer Meals in Rural and Tribal Areas

June 22, 2015 Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary Arne Duncan

Cross-posted from the White House Rural Council blog: During the school year, over 21 million children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch each day through the USDA’s National School Lunch Program. But, when school is out, many children who rely on these meals go hungry. The challenge...

Food and Nutrition

Celebrating a Long History of Ingenuity at the National Maker Faire

June 18, 2015 Tawny Mata, Ph.D. Adviser, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Scientist

For hundreds of years, agriculture has fostered a community of “makers” – people who have engineered the tools that ensure a steady, abundant supply of food and fiber under a wide variety of conditions. From the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, Mason jars in 1858, the gasoline tractor in 1892...

Technology
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