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School Breakfast Program


Our Nation's Schools are Trending toward a Healthier School Day

September 09, 2013 Brooke Hardison, Communications Coordinator for Nutrition Programs, USDA Office of Communications

Schools, teachers and school nutrition professionals across the nation are working hard to make the school day healthier. According to a new study by the CDC, schools across the nation are embracing healthier policies, such as increased physical education, reducing kids’ exposure to tobacco, and of...

Food and Nutrition

Reach Your Goals: Start with a Healthy Breakfast

August 29, 2013 Dominique Dawes, PCFSN Co-Chair and Three-time Olympic Gymnast

At a very early age, I learned about the value of healthy eating. By the time I was 11 years old and training daily as a gymnast, I knew that eating right would help me achieve my goals. The goals I had for health, athletics, and academic performance were all tied to eating nutritious foods, and...

Food and Nutrition

Schools Around the Country Successfully Implementing New Meal Standards

August 27, 2013 Dr. Janey Thornton, Deputy Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

Today a news report claimed that schools across the country are dropping out of the National School Lunch Program because the standards are too difficult to implement. The truth is that the vast majority of schools across the country are meeting the updated meal standards successfully, which is so...

Food and Nutrition Initiatives

Back to Healthy School Meals: USDA Congratulates Six States for Nearly 100% of Schools Meeting New Meal Standards

August 16, 2013 Dr. Janey Thornton, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Deputy Under Secretary

As we continue to combat childhood obesity in America, I am proud to say that this Back to School season our school cafeterias are at the heart of offering great nutrition for our kids. Students and schools are embracing the healthier lunches offered through the National School Lunch Program that...

Food and Nutrition

Turning the Tide on Early Childhood Obesity

August 07, 2013 Dr. Janey Thornton, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

Here at USDA, we’re on a mission to help all of our nation’s children have the best possible chance at a healthy life. So, we’re very encouraged by some recent news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): the rate of obesity among low-income pre-school children appears to be...

Food and Nutrition Farming

USDA Officials Talk about New Meal and Snack Standards at New York City School

July 26, 2013 Anne Alonzo, AMS Administrator

Our children are our most prized possessions and we must do whatever it takes to help them excel in the future. Leading them on the path to becoming part of a healthier generation, USDA revised the standards for meals and snacks served in their schools. Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to a...

Food and Nutrition

Collaboration Key to Aiding Hurricane Sandy Victims

November 09, 2012 Toni Abernathy, Director, Office of Emergency Management, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service

Tough times and dire circumstances have a longstanding history of bringing America’s communities and organizations together. The recent storms that descended on much of the nation’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions have underscored these important partnerships. For many of the stricken areas...

Conservation Food and Nutrition

School Food Data Reflects Progress and Room for Growth in Local Buying

August 13, 2012 Deborah Kane, National Director, Farm to School Program, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently released its 2009-10 School Food Purchase Study, which provides national estimates of the quantity, value and unit price of food acquisitions by school districts participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. This year, the...

Food and Nutrition Farming

Bringing Gold to the Red Poppy Capitol of Texas

February 21, 2012 Cecilia Henson, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Southwest Region nutritionist

Did you know that Georgetown is the Red Poppy Capital of Texas? I was surprised to find out that the city is known for the red poppy wildflowers that bloom throughout the city each spring. They hold the Red Poppy Festival each year in April and attract approximately 30,000 visitors.

Food and Nutrition Initiatives

Just the Facts: State vs. Federal School Nutrition Programs

February 16, 2012 Courtney Rowe, Press Secretary, USDA

In the past 24 hours, we’ve seen a lot of chatter online regarding a story from North Carolina in which a pre-school student’s lunch was deemed “unhealthy.” We’d like to set the record straight.

Food and Nutrition
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