In This Issue

NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK
CFPA believes school lunch is an essential component of the school day. Below you will find resources that highlight the great work happening to ensure school lunch is nutritious and appealing for California's students.

California's Success with Improved School Lunch Standards

For years, California has been successfully implementing changes and improving the health of our state's students. While the national media has focused on controversies surrounding school nutrition standards, almost all California school districts have now been certified in compliance with the new meal patterns.

 

Thanks to forward-thinking efforts, California has actually seen a statewide increase in student lunch participation since the lunch nutrition standards were implemented. When comparing school lunch data from 2010-11 (before changes) to 2012-13, there was a slight decrease in statewide paid-meal participation that was offset by a comparatively larger increase in free and reduced-price lunch participation.

 

CFPA's School Meal Analysis 2010-11 link

CFPA's  School Meal Analysis 2012-13 link

 

CFPA celebrates these successes, while continuing to champion policies that better support schools' ability to serve healthy, appealing school meals. 

 

Questions? Contact Tracey Patterson at 510.433.1122 ext. 101

CFPA Fact Sheet: Feeding Students, Not Trash Cans

CFPA published a fact sheet highlighting policies and practices aimed at minimizing food waste and optimizing student consumption of school meals. The fact sheet highlights federal, state, and local policies regarding the sharing of school meal items and allowing students to eat some food outside of the cafeteria. California district case studies feature best practices, such as sharing tables, community food donations, and "backpack safe" labeling of non-perishable food.

 

Read Feeding Students, Not Trash Cans: Policies and Practices to Curb Food Waste in School Cafeterias. PDF 

 

Discarded food is a lost opportunity for improving student nutrition and a waste of precious resources. CFPA will focus future advocacy efforts on removing policy barriers that hinder schools' ability to feed hungry bellies and reduce food waste. link 

 

Questions? Contact Tracey Patterson at 510.433.1122 ext. 101

Letter Urges SNA to Drop Fight Against Nutrition Standards

A sign-on letter for food service directors urges the School Nutrition Association (SNA) Board of Directors to drop its opposition to the federal nutrition standards with Congress. The open letter also urges SNA leadership to withdraw their support for any legislative provision that would waive or weaken the school nutrition standards.

 

The letter, which started circulating last week, is not the first time SNA members have opposed their association's own initiatives. Earlier in the year, 19 past SNA presidents wrote a letter to Congress asking them to reject calls for waivers that undermine the strong school nutrition standards.

 

Learn more about the open letter to SNA. link 

Learn more about CFPA's Federal Child Nutrition Priorities. link

 

Questions? Contact Ariana Oliva at 213.482.8200 ext. 203 

California Cafeterias Become  

Smarter Lunchrooms

Kaiser Permanente's Thriving Schools launched a new website on the statewide collaborative to transform every school lunchroom in the state into a smarter one. Smarter Lunchrooms Makeovers use simple, low-cost and no-cost changes to the lunchroom to get students to take and eat more nutrient-dense foods. T  he collaborative is working towards equipping schools with the skills to make this happen.

 

Learn more about this statewide effort. link

 

Visit CFPA's REAL School Food page to learn more about Smarter Lunchrooms and ways to improve the appeal of school meals. link 

 

Questions? Contact Ariana Oliva at 213.482.8200 ext. 203 

Questions? Contact Tia Shimada at 510.433.1122 ext. 109