Schools are increasingly turning to fast-food restaurants such as Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Pizza Hut to fill the stomachs of kids turned off by standard school lunches. Kids are delighted, but critics say fast-food infiltration of school cafeterias encourages poor nutrition. Schools might consider adopting lighter fast-food fare or starting…

The Antioch Unified School District is one of several California schools testing a version of the Nutrient Standard Menu Planning (NSMP) to meet the new rules that require all schools to reduce the fat content of meals. NSMP, presently implemented at the elementary level, has increased flexibility in menu planning and led to better management and…

A food service director for a YMCA camp offers advice on conducting yearly in-house training for camp cooks. Training resources could include a camp-specific training manual, training videos, training guidebooks, and demonstration of kitchen equipment. Health department issues should be covered during training. Kitchen resources from the American…

Experiential learning activities are often viewed as impractical, and potentially unfeasible, instructional tools to employ in a large enrollment course. Research has shown, though, that the metacognitive skills that students utilize while participating in experiential learning activities enable them to assess their true level of understanding and…

This book, sponsored by a group called Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, shows parents and others why they should care about the way food is grown in America, how the food production system needs to be changed, and ways to make it better for their families and communities. Chapter 1 details why the current food production system needs to…

This special issue is designed for those who want to know all they can about the new federal requirements for nutrition information on food labels. Nine articles are included. "Good Reading for Good Eating" (Paula Kurtzweil) addresses mandatory nutrition labeling, the nutrition panel, nutrient content and health claims, and ingredient…

This manual provides information on creditable and noncreditable foods in child care centers, before-and-after-school centers, family day care homes, and adult day care centers. Creditable foods are foods that may be counted toward meeting the requirements for a reimbursable meal. Foods are determined to be creditable according to guidelines…

Argues that severe infant malnutrition is shockingly widespread in the United States, that the effects of malnutrition in infancy are now recognized to be much more devastating than had hitherto been known, and that the probable relationship between poverty, malnutrition, and mental deficiency is far too strong to overlook. [Available from…

Like food-service establishments, child nutrition programs are responsible for preserving the quality and wholesomeness of food. Proper food-handling practices prevent contamination and job-related accidents. Application of the evaluation instrument presented in this document to individual programs helps to define proper practices, assess the…

The purpose of this paper is to present some evidence linking malnutrition to physical development, brain development, infection, environment, learning and behavior. (CS)

This General Accounting Office (GAO) report examines the problems encountered by school food service programs in their efforts to meet the Department of Agriculture's nutrient requirements for school lunches while increasing student participation and reducing food waste and program costs. The report is based on an evaluation of two senior high…

Some of the factors considered in these guidelines include basic nutritional requirements, food component minimums, food variety, and amounts of food served in elementary and secondary school breakfast programs. Suggestions are made for serving foods that will appeal to young people. Samples of hot and cold menus are provided. Forms for evaluating…

The importance of establishing good eating habits in youth as a means for laying the foundation of health in later life is discussed. This booklet contains charts that list nutritional scores for many common foods. These scores are measures of the overall nutritional content and value of the foods. Foods receive points for protein; vitamins A, B-2…

This report of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation focuses on issues raised by the marketing of commercially prepared infant formulas that were nutritionally deficient. In this context, the report examines the scope of FDA authority to protect the public and the manner in which the FDA carries out its responsibilities with respect to…

School authorities in a total of 68 Alberta school jurisdictions (representing 82 percent of the student population of the province) responded to a request for details about the availability in schools of nonnutritious foods--defined as food that contains minimal nutrients in proportion to number of calories. Foods that are commonly consumed at…