Overview
All students should have access to a variety of nutritious and appealing meals. Nutrition Services helps ensure students health and nutrition needs are met though programs that reflect the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for American and other criteria that ensure nutritional integrity.
The Arizona Child Nutrition Programs
The Arizona Child Nutrition Programs provide cash assistance and donated foods to serve nutritionally adequate meals to children in schools, preschools, day care centers and homes. Eighty percent of the children served are low income based on free and reduced-income eligibility status. The free and reduced status is based on the federal poverty guidelines and is an indicator of a child's at-risk status. Training, technical assistance and compliance reviews are conducted to ensure nutrition integrity and fiscal accountability as prescribed by the United States Department of Agriculture.
The Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Program established to ensure that low-income children, ages 18 and younger, continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. Free meals, that meet Federal nutrition guidelines, are provided to all children at approved SFSP sites in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children by schools, private non-profits and local or county governments. The SFSP is administered at the State level by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).
School Breakfast Program
The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides cash assistance to States to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The program is administered at the Federal level by FNS. State education agencies administer the SBP at the State level, and local school food authorities operate it in schools.
Arizona Nutrition Standards
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is dedicated to helping fight obesity and the diseases associated with obesity. In addition, the department is committed to providing adequate nutrition for proper growth and development of the body and the mind. Children with adequate nutrition are able to focus better on learning, have improved behaviors and test scores, and fewer absences. As a result, the ADE has developed the Arizona Nutrition Standards (ANS) to assist schools, parents, and communities in providing a model of healthy living that decreases the risk of obesity and allows our children to excel in school.
The Department of Education has developed the Arizona Nutrition Standards, required by ARS 15-242. The law mandates that all kindergarten through eight grade schools who participate in the National School Lunch Program implement the Arizona Nutrition Standards.
The foundation for the Arizona Nutrition Standards is based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the United States Department of Agriculture's Federal Child Nutrition Program regulations. The ADE recognizes that all Arizona students deserved the opportunity for healthy food and beverages. To fill this gap, the ADE decided to create Voluntary Arizona Nutrition Standards for High Schools (VANS). The VANS will provide high schools with a tool for improving foods and beverages offered on campus.
Resources
Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs, Revised September 2011 - This guidance is based on the policy guidelines outlined in the FNS Instruction 783-2, Revision 2, Meal Substitutions for Medical or Other Special Dietary Reasons. Serving children with special dietary needs and disabilities presents school food service staff with new challenges as well as rewards. This guidance presents information on how to handle situations that may arise and offers advice about such issues as funding and liability.
MyPlate - MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times.
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.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans - The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the cornerstone of Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities.
Healthy Meals Resources 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.
SMI Road to Success - This publication provides guidance to school foodservice directors, supervisors and managers on successfully implementing USDA's School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI) within the scope of daily practices.
Healthier US School Challenge - The Healthier US School Challenge (HUSSC) is a voluntary initiative established in 2004 to recognize those schools participating in the National School Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity.
Eat Smart, Play Hard - The Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Campaign was launched by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to encourage and teach children, parents, and caregivers to eat healthy and be physically active every day. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ offers resources and tools to convey and reinforce healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate Food Guidance System.
Making It Happen! School Success Stories- Making It Happen! School Nutrition Success Stories shares stories from 32 schools and school districts that have made innovative changes to improve the nutritional quality of all foods and beverages offered and sold on school campuses.
National Dairy Council - NationalDairyCouncil.org offers a robust library of evidence-based education materials to help counsel patients, clients and students.
Dairy Council of Arizona - Here you will find information for school wellness, dairy nutrition and recipes as well as browse our materials for the latest resources available.
Arizona Nutrition Network - Shape consumption of food in a positive way, promote health, and help reduce disease among people living in Arizona.
Maricopa County Dept of Public Health Classroom Education in Nutrition - The Community Nutrition Programs office serves Maricopa County by providing education and resources to help the public make smart nutrition choices.
Navajo County Department of Public Health Five A Day Nutrition Education-
This program is a State-funded school-based program targeted toward 2nd grade students and their parents called Navajo County 5-A-Day Kids.
Mohave County Department of Public Health Nutrition and Health Promotion-The Nutrition and Health Promotion Division administers a variety of grant funded nutrition and health education programs.
Greenlee County Department of Public Health Five a Day Nutrition Education- Services offered include nutrition education and information on the 5-A-Day Program to increase intake of fruits and vegetables for 3rd graders, and for adults in the community.
Santa Cruz County Health Department Superstar Nutrition for Kids- The goal of Superstar Nutrition for Kids is to promote healthy eating and physical activity in communities throughout Santa Cruz County. We offer a multi-faceted approach to reducing childhood obesity in Santa Cruz County.