Afterschool Snacks – TrayTalk.org

Thinking Outside the Box to Fill Staffing Shortages

The Kershaw County School District (SC) school nutrition department was fully staffed before the pandemic. Down a third of its staff two years later, they knew they had to try something different to ensure enough resources to feed children in the district.

Culinary Club adds Gardening to Keep Students Engaged

Cecilia Araiza has been working in school nutrition for more than two decades, innovating new ways to keep students engaged outside the cafeteria with nutrition education opportunities. When the resurgence of the pandemic halted her Madison Park Middle School (AZ) Culinary Club from being able to use the kitchen for its hands-on learning experiences, Araiza had the idea to take things outside with a gardening component for the weekly after-school program.

After School Cooking Classes Expand Learning

Students in two eastern Ohio districts have the opportunity to make snacks and simple meals for their families in an after-school cooking program that combines kitchen basics and recipes with educational lessons. The students make everything from pizza and parfaits to pies and salads, and learn how they can prepare food at home, letting parents join in the fun.

Connecting Classroom to Cafeteria in CT

When a student going through the lunch line asked why there was a potato in the fruit basket, Kate Murphy, SNS, Food Service Director for Naugatuck Public Schools in Connecticut, had an “ah ha moment.” Realizing that the child didn’t recognize a pear, Murphy determined more had to be done to support nutrition education.

While researching ideas for CT Grown for CT Kids Week, Murphy identified resources available from local farmers that could be used to create lesson plans. She knew it had to be something kids would be interested in – that’s when she got her big idea: pickles!

Winter Break Isn’t a Break from Meals in Many Schools

The holidays can be a hard time for families already struggling to make ends meet. The threat of children going hungry increases when school is out and guaranteed nutritious school meals are no longer available. While many school districts must close food service operations, an increasing number of programs are making arrangements to provide food pick-up or meal service during the break this year to support their communities.

To ensure students are well-fed during the Winter Break, Madison School District Food & Nutrition Services (AZ) has a Free Bulk Food Box Program for children 18 years and younger. Informational fliers in English and Spanish encourage families to sign up in advance for food boxes pick up on December 23.

School District Serves Meals for ‘Breakfast, Lunch and Supper’

While most school districts focus on offering nutritious breakfast or lunch options during the school day, Crane Schools (AZ) School Nutrition Director Michael Clark saw an opportunity to help students further by transforming an unprofitable after school snack program into a thriving supper meal program. Read more…