Child Nutrition Resources
This page introduces curricula, training videos and additional resources for child nutrition professionals. To find delicious recipes adapted for school cafeterias that follow USDA guidelines, click here.
ONLINE COURSE
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| Culinary Skills for School Meal Preparation This course is designed to help you develop the culinary skills necessary for school meal preparation. Topics covered include mise en place, knife skills, flavor, and vegetable cookery. Earn 2 continuing education units through this School Nutrition Association approved online course. | Visit |
LOCAL FOOD
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| Growing Farm to School at the Local School Level A Guide for Child Nutrition Directors and Managers | Download |
| Oklahoma Farm to School Farm to School brings Oklahoma grown food into school cafeterias giving students the opportunity to taste farm fresh foods and learn how their food is grown. | Visit |
| Farm to Child Nutrition Programs Planning Guide The Farm to Child Nutrition Planning Guide directs you through questions to consider when starting or growing a farm to school, farm to child care, or farm to summer program. | Visit |
| Eat Smart—Farm Fresh! A Guide to Buying and Serving Locally-Grown Produce in School Meals | Visit |
| Farm to School Program Tips, Tools, & Guidelines for Food Distribution & Food Safety | Download |
| Oklahoma’s Seasonal Produce Guide | Visit |
FOOD SAFETY
Videos
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Produce Safety
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A Flash of Food Safety Handwashing: Why to Wash Your Hands
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A Flash of Food Safety Calibrating a Thermometer: Ice Water Method
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A Flash of Food Safety Calibrating a Thermometer: Boiling Water Method
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A Flash of Food Safety Active Cooling with a Chill Stick
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| Best Practices for Fresh Produce (pdf) Recommendations for handling fresh produce. | Download |
| National Foodservice Management Institute- Produce Safety University A series of resources on produce safety that describe best practices for receiving, storing, handling, and purchasing fresh and fresh-cut produce through videos, fact sheets, and PowerPoint presentations. | Visit |
| Produce Safety Videos Produce Safety Hacks from the USDA. | Visit |
| Food-Safe Schools: Creating a Culture of Food Safety | Visit |
FOOD PRODUCTION
Videos
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Roasting Vegetables
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Veggie Packed Marinara Sauce Prepared in a Tilt Skillet
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Mashed Potatoes Prepared in a Steam Jacketed Kettle
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Brown Rice Prepared in a Rice Cooker
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| National Foodservice Management Institute- Culinary Techniques Culinary Techniques for Healthy School Meals presents step-by-step food preparation techniques to produce healthy and delicious school meals. | Visit |
| Calculating the Extra Cost of Over Portioning Serving portions larger than the planned menu increases food costs. | Download |
| Cooking for Kids Salad Bar Handout | Download |
TASTE TESTING
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| Taste Testing 101 Taste testing is a great way to introduce students to new food items in a fun and interactive way. | Download |
| Taste Preference Survey for Elementary School Students | Download |
| Taste Preference Survey for Secondary School Students | Download |
MARKETING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| Cooking for Kids Recipe Contest Guide & Templates | Download |
| Chicken Around the World Theme days are a fun way to create excitement and spark interest in what’s being served in the cafeteria. The Chicken Around the World recipes can be used to introduce interesting new foods that students might otherwise not get to taste. Here are some tips to get you started. Check out the recipe section to find the Chicken Around the World recipes. | Download |
| Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecard The Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecard is the nation’s premier tool for assessing and improving the use of evidence-based strategies in the lunchroom. The 4 Step Path to Building a Smarter Lunchroom will walk you through the 4 simple steps to using more strategies that increase student consumption of healthy food. | Visit |
| Team Nutrition Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to support the Child Nutrition Programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity. | Visit |
| Healthy Food Choices at Schools eXtension Community of Practice This is where you can find research-based information from America's land-grant universities. | Visit |
| Produce for Better Health Foundation The Health & Wellness Resource Guide for Fruits & Vegetables includes new nutrition facts panels, health and nutrient content claims, social media posts, and healthy recipes with photos for 41 top produce items, with enhanced information about artichokes, potatoes, pears, and 100% Concord Grape Juice. Background information on consumption trends and responses to common consumer questions are also provided. | Download |
| Fruits and Vegetables Galore: Getting students to eat more Fruits & Vegetables Galore is a tool for school foodservice professionals packed with tips on planning, purchasing, protecting, preparing, presenting and promoting fruits and vegetables. | Visit |
NUTRITION AND MENU PLANNING
Videos
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| USDA Child Nutrition Food Buying Guide The Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs has all of the current information in one manual to help you and your purchasing agent 1) buy the right amount of food and the appropriate type of food for your program(s), and 2) determine the specific contribution each food makes toward the meal pattern requirements. | Visit |
| Alliance for a Healthier Generation-Smart Snack Calculator Take the guesswork out of nutrition guidelines with the new Alliance Product Calculator for Smart Snacks! Simply enter the product information, answer a few questions, and determine whether your beverage, snack, side or entrée item meets the new USDA Smart Snacks in School Guidelines. | Visit |
| USDA Healthy Meals Resource System The Healthy Meals Resource System is an online information center for USDA Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) and has been delivering resources to CNP staff since 1995. | Visit |
| The Lunch Box- Tools for School Food Change An online resource that provides free step-by-step guides, tools, and recipes to help schools improve their food programs. | Visit |
| NFSMI Best Practice Guide for In-Classroom Breakfast This resource and checklist was developed through case study research that involved four school districts with exemplary in-classroom breakfast programs. The purpose of this resource is to guide school nutrition directors who wish to implement in-classroom breakfast programs that are customized for each school within a district, or to assess existing in-classroom breakfast programs in schools. The information will support efforts by capturing numerous issues that will impact the decision-making. | Download |
| Cooking for Kids Seasonal Cycle Menus These chef-designed menus help schools move toward increasing availability of freshly prepared foods by utilizing minimally processed commodity foods and increasing fresh fruits and vegetables. The recipes have been tested in several Oklahoma schools across the state. The menus not only meet USDA meal pattern requirements but also provide schools with the resources to offer students both nutritious and delicious meals. | Download |
| Cooking for Kids Breakfast Cycle Menu These chef-designed menus help schools move toward increasing availability of freshly prepared foods by utilizing minimally processed commodity foods and increasing fresh fruits and vegetables. The recipes can not only be utilized in the traditional breakfast serving model, but in alternative models as well such as breakfast in the classroom, grab and go breakfast, and second chance breakfast. | Download |
FUNDING AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
| Programs and Resources | |
|---|---|
| Salad Bars to School A grant program that helps schools expand their commitment to serving fresh fruits and vegetables by implementing salad bars as part of their daily meal programs. | Visit |
| Certified Healthy Schools The Certified Healthy School Program was started in 2010 by a health champion in the Oklahoma legislature. The program is administered by the Oklahoma Turning Point Council and the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Center for the Advancement of Wellness. Certified Healthy School recognizes school sites that are working to improve student and employee health by providing wellness opportunities and implementing policies that lead to healthier lifestyles. | Visit |
| Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program FFVP can be an important tool in our efforts to combat childhood obesity. The Program has been successful in introducing school children to a variety of produce that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to sample. | Visit |
| USDA: Grants/Funding Opportunities Find information on specific grants related to child nutrition and physical activity as well as resources to locate grants and information on the grant writing process. | Visit |
| Project Produce: Fruit and Veggie Grants for Schools Skoop and the Chef Ann Foundation have teamed up to launch Project Produce: Fruit and Veggie Grants for Schools. These $2,500 grants help schools increase kids’ access to fresh fruits and veggies and nutrition education. | Visit |
| Fuel Up to Play 60 Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to help encourage today's youth to lead healthier lives. Up to $4,000 per year is available to qualified K-12 schools enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 to jumpstart healthy changes. | Visit |
| Dairy Max School Nutrition Equipment Grant | Visit |
SCHOOL WELLNESS
Videos
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Concession Stand Makeover
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Wellness Committees That Work
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Staff Wellness Ideas to Make Your Whole School Healthier
| Tips and Tools | |
|---|---|
| Tailoring the Sample School Wellness Policy Schools play a critical role in fostering lifelong healthy habits in children. Children and youth spend the majority of their time during their formative years at school, where they consume at least half of their daily calories. Studies have shown that students who are more physically active and eat more nutritious diet perform better in school. School wellness policies communicate commitment to students, parents, teachers and administrators healthy environments, healthy students and academic progress are priorities. In fact, all school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program are required to adopt a written wellness policy. Many schools have found using a policy template helpful in writing an effective policy. The attached Policy Development Guide offers an editable version of a school wellness policy that includes all of the best practices for achieving a healthy school environment and that meets federal and state regulations. For schools not yet ready to adopt all the practices the guide provides options to tailor the policy to meet the district’s specific goals and needs. | Download |
| Smart Snack Suggestions | Download |
| Smart Snacks Fact Sheet | Download |
| Healthy Fundraising (USDA Healthy Meals Resource System) | Visit |
| Healthy Fundraising Solutions Healthy fundraising ideas from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. | Download |
| Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit Engage school staff and parents in school wellness using these ready-to-go communication tools. Sharing news about your Local School Wellness Policy is easy with these flyers, presentations, newsletter articles, and social media posts. Your school can personalize them to make them specific to your Local School Wellness Policy activities. | Visit |
| Cooking for Kids Fact Sheet for Teachers and Staff | Download |
| Cooking for Kids Fact Sheet for Families | Download |
| Celebrations that Support Child Health | Download |
| Constructive Classroom Rewards: Promoting Good Habits While Protecting Children's Health | Download |
| Food for Kids Backpack Program The Regional Food Bank's Food for Kids program provides chronically hungry children with backpacks filled with non-perishable, nutritious, kid-friendly, shelf-stable food to sustain them over weekends and school holidays. | Visit |