This guidebook provides a combination of guidance and policy information that will help California sponsors to plan, purchase, prepare, and serve nutritious meals and snacks that comply with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern requirements. Sections 1 through 4 list foods that may be used for the meat/meat alternate,…

This report examines the Buy American provision of the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children Amendments of 1987. In particular, compliance by school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program under the cash payment and commodity letters of credit systems is…

Recommendations are made on how school lunch programs can provide better nutrition and promote healthier eating habits. Recommendations consist of goals with both short-term and mid-term objectives. The short-term objectives should be implemented over the next 2 to 4 years; the mid-term objectives should be implemented by the year 2000 or sooner…

This chapter of "Principles of School Business Management" provides an overview of the history, regulation, and administration of school lunch programs and related food services. The historical review discusses factors prompting federal intervention in food programs for school children and cites legislation mandating funding. The chapter then…

The Merchandising Food Service Training Manual contains 12 lessons and 2 appendixes. Class activities and handouts are interspersed among techniques for selling and merchandising meals, information about life value roles and how food participants may improve public images, material about customers' backgrounds and attitudes, methods of competitors…

School food service should be considered a vital aspect of school operations, not an appendage to the educational program. This handbook revolves around the federal Child Nutrition and National School Lunch program serving about 24 million pupils daily in over 90 percent of the nation's 89,200 public schools. The booklet helps explain various…

This guide is based on the latest federal regulations and meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. It considers current food production and marketing techniques, packaging methods, grading standards, and changing food habits in the American population. The guide gives average yield information on over 600…

A committee in Greenburgh, New York, upgraded the quality and nutrition of the school lunch program. Details of the model program are outlined. (MLF)

"Satelliting" or transporting food in bulk from one school kitchen or from a factory-like kitchen to smaller schools can help school districts reduce cost, improve efficiency, maintain quality, and standardize products. (MLF)

The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA) requires that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates the use of pesticides at the federal level, reevaluate the amounts of pesticide residues allowed on or in food. The EPA immediately began efforts to consider the additional safety factor for children, using available methods and…

Recent research revealed that most school lunches exceed the dietary guidelines for fat content. After explaining the resulting Healthy Kids School Meals Initiative which will overhaul the National School Lunch Program meal pattern, the article makes suggestions of how parents can help their school food service sell more nutritious food. (SM)

Describes an activity in which students can investigate and evaluate the amount of iron found in most fortified breakfast cereals or cream of wheat. Includes a list of necessary materials, safety precautions, experimental procedure, disposal protocol, and nutritional explanation, utilization, and variations. (JJK)

Some children have chronic illnesses that require diet modifications as part of their medical treatment. Advises school districts to hire a registered dietitian or look for resources at a local hospital or public health office. In addition, schools should work with parents, improve staff training, and conduct spot checks of school cafeterias. (MLF)

Cites the advantages and disadvantages for school districts of centralized food preparation and of the different food systems such as hot food systems, transporting cold or frozen food, and cook-chill systems. (MLF)

Background: Schools are in a unique position to promote healthy dietary behaviors and help ensure appropriate nutrient intake. This article describes the characteristics of both school nutrition services and the foods and beverages sold outside of the school meals program in the United States, including state- and district-level policies and…