Kindergarten students at Birney Elementary had a lot of fun learning about grains with their nutrition educator, Mrs. Rogers!

The students read the book, Macaroni and Rice and Bread by the Slice, which taught them about the difference between whole grains and refined grains.

Mrs. Rogers brought along a model of a whole grain to show the students that all three parts (the brain, germ, and endosperm) provide us with the fiber, vitamins and minerals, and energy that we need, as Mrs. Rogers says it, "to last us the whole day long."

To check the students' understanding, Mrs. Rogers brought examples of rice, pasta, tortillas, and bread of all different kinds. As she held each one up the students had to give a "thumbs up" if it was a whole grain, or a "thumbs down" if it was a refined grain. All of the students expressed their love of popcorn, and were excited when they found out that it was a grain.

Every student got involved when Mrs. Rogers did the grains song, which got their bodies moving and their hearts pumping. Since grains give us energy, she thought she would have them use a little bit of it while she was there!

Thanks to the great folks at Fresno Unified School District, we're able to share a few 'behind the scenes' photos from the recent visit with USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon. Read more about that visit here.

Students taking part in a school meal roundtable at Computech Middle School with (Left to right) Michael Hanson, Superintendent; Andrew Scherrer, Computech Principal; and Kevin Concannon, Undersecretary of the USDA.

 

(Left to right) Jeremy Ward, Principal, Duncan Polytech; Jesus Mendoza, USDA Regional Administrator, Western Region; Cal Johnson, Board President;  Michael Hanson, Superintendent; Kevin Concannon, Undersecretary of the USDA; Shelby MacNab, UC CalFresh Supervisor; Jose Alvarado, Food Services Director; Lynnette Brewer, UC CalFresh Supervisor; Andrew Scherrer, Computech Principal; and Karin Temple, Assistant Superintendent, Operational Services.

 

Jesus Mendoza and Jose Alvarado discuss the efforts Fresno Unified is making to provide healthy meals to all students thanks to the Community Eligibility provision (CEP). The CEP allows the district to feed all students for no-cost, regardless of income.

After spending the morning at Computech Middle School, Undersecretary Concannon was welcomed to the FUSD Nutrition Center.

(left to right) Food Service Director, Jose Alvarado, and USDA Undersecretary, Kevin Concannon, take a look at the Nutrition Corner, which features nutrition education and wellness efforts taking place in Fresno Unified School District. UC CalFresh spotlights the great work being done with the district here, including Smarter Lunchrooms efforts. 

Jose Alvarado leads the group on a tour of the FUSD Nutrition Center. 

The whole wheat rolls were a fan favorite! Undersecretary Concannon was excited to try one, and gave a thumbs up!

 

Thanks for taking a look behind the scenes! UC CalFresh enjoyed participating in the visit and are thrilled that the district can now feed all students, regardless of income.

 

Building Smarter Lunchrooms

One of the concepts from the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement has to do with branding and promoting cafeteria meals to increase participation and the consumption of healthy foods. Fresno Unified launched a new soft taco at Computech earlier this week. With just a few promotional signs and flyers, the tacos were a hit! 

Mini posters were placed throughout the cafeteria, in high traffic areas.

Join the Movement

The total cost to promote the new taco was just over $11. Low-cost promotions can help school food service departments encourage students to try new things.

UC CalFresh can provide technical assistance to help start a Smarter Lunchrooms movement in your cafeteria! If you'd like to join the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement in Fresno County, email Shelby MacNab at smacnab@ucanr.edu to get started.

Fresno Welcomes USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon

On Tuesday we welcomed USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon to a special visit with Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) to celebrate the new community eligibility provision. This provision enables FUSD to feed all students in the district, regardless of income. Read more on the provision, here.

Fresno Unified is the largest school district in California to apply for the community eligibility provision. As the videos below demonstrate, the district is thrilled to offer meals to all students! 

 

  

Smarter Lunchrooms Make a Big Impact at Computech Middle School

UC CalFresh has collaborated with FUSD on Smarter Lunchrooms efforts in the district, and was invited to work at Computech Middle School to make a few additions to the cafeteria to promote healthy foods.

Computech has a large cafeteria with a lot of room to feature student work, add items to the serving line, and promote healthy foods. The flow of meal service is very efficient, and the Noon Time Assistants at the school already do a fantastic job of setting up the lunch trays for meal service each day. After identifying many strengths at the site, our goal was to enhance and build on those strengths. Working together we made a huge impact!

Below are some of the photos of the additions made to the cafeteria, along with the positive feedback we have already received from staff and students! 

After: removing the sneeze guard made food easier to reach. Bonus: menu cards were added to showcase healthy food!

"The bowls look real nice, real fancy." -student, upon seeing tablecloths and clear fruit bowls replacing the tubs used.

After: Relocating the freezer cleared the way to make nutrition and student artwork the center of attention!

"It looks really nice." -student, remarking on the changes made in the cafeteria.

To promote nutrition and wellness throughout the campus, a few additions were made to the staff lounge as well.

 "It makes me feel like I want to be in here." -Noon Time Assistant, commenting on the changes to the teachers' lunchroom

 

Future Collaborations Planned

UC CalFresh had a great time working at Computech, and looks forward to collaborating with FUSD Food Service staff at additional school sites early next year! 

If you'd like to be a part of the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement in Fresno County, email Shelby MacNab at smacnab@ucanr.edu to get started.