By Tony Craddock, Jr., Public Affairs Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service

How you start your day sets the tone for the rest of your day! School breakfast programs are critical in building a healthier future for America’s children.

But currently, only half of the children who eat school lunch also get their breakfast at school. Additionally, schools have voiced their need for additional support to serve breakfasts that meet the latest dietary guidance for children.

USDA values this feedback and has opened applications for the Fiscal Year 2023 School Breakfast Expansion Grants, which will provide schools with funds to prepare nutritious, appealing breakfasts with less added sugar and sodium, and more whole grains. These grants can also boost participation in school breakfast by making it available during the school day.

Why is breakfast important?

A Hungry Child is Not a Happy Child.
Children who eat breakfast have increased alertness and improved moods throughout the morning, making for a better learning experience in the classroom.

School Breakfasts are the Best!
On average, school breakfasts are more nutritious than breakfasts eaten elsewhere.

How can schools increase breakfast participation?

Increase Student Participation through Breakfast in the Classroom.
Over 40% of students who have never participated in USDA’s School Breakfast Program say they would do so, if eating in the classroom was an option.

Serve Healthy, Tasty, and Exciting Meals!
Partnering with local farmers to introduce fresh, homegrown products into breakfasts and inviting students to develop menu options can create breakfasts that students can’t wait to eat!

What’s next?

States and Territories are Encouraged to Apply.
$6 million in School Breakfast Expansion Grants is available to U.S. states and D.C., while $3 million is available to U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. Applications are due July 24, 2023, and awards will be made later this year.

By HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s work is under way, and we welcome your involvement in the process to update the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) encourage public participation in the committee’s review process. You can get involved by:

• Attending virtual meetings: View meetings that have already taken place, and virtually attend a future meeting by following the work underway.
• Providing public comments: Comments may be submitted online.
• Subscribing to email updates: Stay informed on each step of the process by registering for updates.

More details on the Dietary Guidelines development process can be found at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

By Janna Kimosh, Public Affairs Branch Chief, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service

WIC is one of the most powerful, evidence-based public health programs, setting moms, babies, and young kids up to be healthy and thrive. The program is associated with incredible outcomes like improved diet quality, birth weights, and cognitive development, and reduced infant deaths, premature births, and health care costs. It’s no wonder more than six million women, infants, and children across America participate in the program.

But still, that’s only about half of those who are eligible, which means millions are missing out on WIC’s proven benefits. (Check out our National and State Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and Program Reach in 2020 webpage for really cool, interactive charts showing program eligibility and reach by age, race, gender, military status, and more.) WIC has the potential to help so many more.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is working hard to get more eligible families connected to WIC. One of the ways we’re doing that is by making it easier to enroll. We’re encouraging state agencies to continue allowing participants to enroll in and receive WIC benefits virtually as well as in-person.

We’re also leveraging data sharing across government programs to streamline WIC enrollment. In line with the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery and the Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, FNS is encouraging states to easily connect eligible moms and kids who already participate in programs like SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Medicaid with WIC benefits. As part of that effort, we’re investing in a cooperative agreement that will provide subgrants and support to WIC state agencies to expand the use of data sharing to identify, refer, and enroll eligible participants. We encourage colleges, universities, and nonprofits to apply.

USDA believes a healthier future starts with our children, and these steps will help give our nation’s youngest the best possible start through WIC.

To learn more, visit the WIC Modernization & Innovation webpage.

By Sandra MacMartin, Public Affairs Specialist, FNS Midwest Region with Guest Author, Amanda Sweetman, Regional Director of Farming and Healthy Lifestyles for the Farm at Trinity Health

Can you imagine a day when healthcare is mostly proactive as opposed to reactive? Imagine if everyone has access to the vital conditions for health and wellbeing: the factors that people depend on to reach their full potential. What does that future look like?

One way we’ll know that we’ve achieved this future is that everyone will experience nutrition security – meaning they have consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods that promote optimal health and well-being – and diet-related illnesses will no longer be the leading cause of death in the United States, especially for people of color who are historically at greatest risk.

That was the focus of our discussions in late March at the second regional Come to the Table summit on nutrition security and healthcare at Trinity Health in Ypsilanti, Michigan, hosted by ProMedica and The Root Cause Coalition. Alonzo Lewis, president of Trinity Health Ann Arbor, set the tone by encouraging the 150 stakeholders in attendance to build on the momentum of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health by strengthening the intersections between nutrition and healthcare.

In addition to panel discussions comprised of experts in various fields, there was a lively town hall which provided everyone an opportunity to add their voice and experience to the conversation on hunger as a health issue. All in the room acknowledged that as a country, we have work to do. But as USDA Secretary Vilsack said in his recorded remarks, “Together, there is no challenge we can’t overcome.”

Creating solutions that are sustainable over time takes innovation, determination and collaboration – something The Farm at Trinity Health is very familiar with. After the summit, attendees visited The Farm, one of the nation’s oldest hospital-based farms. The Farm evolved from a discussion about food as medicine among health care professionals into the multi-faceted, regional program it is today. Access to produce is key to increasing the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, which supports good health. In 2022, The Farm donated 15,554 pounds of produce to 22,339 patients and healthcare workers via its Produce to Patients program. And, because access to healthy food is only the first step toward better health outcomes, The Farm also offers education programs field trips, summer camp, and cooking classes to help people learn to cook healthier foods.

“The Farm is a great example of a program that connects thousands of people to the healing power of nutritious food,” said USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean while touring The Farm. “I am inspired by their model and look forward to hearing more about their impact on health outcomes in the years ahead.”

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2023 – This week, USDA Food and Nutrition Service employees were announced as finalists for the 2023 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, also known as the Sammies, run by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. The Sammies are the premier awards program honoring excellence and innovation in federal service.

Selected from more than 350 impressive nominations, FNS employees Lisa Gifaldi, Shelly Pierce and Andrea Gold were named Management Excellence finalists for their role in expeditiously expanding the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot, a system that allows millions of Americans to use their SNAP benefits to purchase food online. Many others within the agency supported their pivotal work.

“As we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week, I want to express my deep appreciation to the SNAP staff who worked tirelessly to expand access to online purchasing for program participants,” said Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “Their dedication and commitment to helping Americans access healthy food in a safe and convenient way has made a real difference in the lives of millions.”

The SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot was operating as a fledgling pilot in just a handful of states in 2020, and within six months, Gifaldi, Pierce, Gold and their colleagues turned it into what is now a 49-state program, with the 50th state in a testing phase, including more than 200 retailers, ranging from national corporations like Amazon and Walmart to small family-owned stores in remote communities. Thanks to their efforts – and the collaboration of partners nationwide – by the end of 2022, more than 4 million households each month used SNAP benefits to make at least one online order. SNAP online shopping accounted for close to $9 billion in SNAP benefits redeemed last year.

“This program not only met the needs of the moment during the pandemic, but it is having a transformative effect going forward,” said Tim English, associate administrator of FNS Regional Operations and Support.

Since its inception in 2002, the Sammies have honored over 700 outstanding federal employees. Gifaldi, Pierce and Gold are among 47 federal employees across 25 federal agencies honored as 2023 Sammies finalists for their outstanding contributions to safety, public health and sustainability across our nation and the world. Visit www.servicetoamericamedals.org for more information on the awards and the 2023 finalists.

All finalists are eligible for the Service to America Medals People’s Choice Award. You can support USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service staff by voting for Gifaldi, Pierce and Gold online starting May 8. Voting closes June 30.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition on Twitter.

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By Cathy Buhrig, Associate Administrator, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition support to millions of American families in need. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works with partner states to ensure that SNAP provides the right amount of benefits to eligible families in the prescribed timeframes.

SNAP quality control is one of the key ways FNS ensures the integrity of the program. Each month, SNAP state agencies are required to randomly select a certain number of SNAP cases and thoroughly re-check their eligibility and benefit levels. If the state identifies an improper payment, which could be a household receiving more benefits than they were entitled to receive (overpayment) or less benefits than they were entitled to (underpayment). The state then works to make a correction to address the under or overpayment. FNS then reviews a sample of the state reviewed cases to validate the findings of the state.

It’s important to note that these improper payments are usually due to unintentional mistakes. For example, a state agency staff member might incorrectly calculate a household’s expenses, or a recipient may not know that they need to report a small change in their hourly wage.

Each year, as required by law, FNS then analyzes the final data collected from the states and uses that information to determine the payment error rate for that state. This final number issued by FNS informs states of how often and why their eligibility and benefit calculations are incorrect. States who have high payment error rates must work with FNS to reduce the number of cases that have mistakes. Those that experience high rates for two years in a row are charged a penalty.

FNS works with states to identify the root causes of their payment errors and develop a plan to improve the accuracy of benefit payments. This may include providing training to caseworkers, improving data systems, or implementing new policies and procedures.

The goal of identifying errors is to improve the program and to prevent the loss of taxpayer dollars by ensuring that SNAP benefits — in the correct amounts — are going to those who are eligible. By working collaboratively with states, we can ensure that SNAP continues to be a vital lifeline for millions of Americans.

By Farm to School Specialist Allison Bell, Mountain Plains Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service

Bringing together local producers and schools was the objective of the “Bringing the Farm to School” producer training in Hardin, Montana. The training sought to build relationships between schools and producers to increase the availability of local foods served to children. USDA Farm to School Specialists Andrea Alma and Alli Bell were on hand to demonstrate the many ways USDA’s Farm to School Program is connecting with schools and communities.

Partners from Montana Team Nutrition and the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center brought the training curriculum to life, showing agricultural producers how to approach schools to sell their products and offering insight into procurement considerations, including the budgets, timing, and regulations faced by school food directors.

Participants shared ideas on how to connect kids to more local foods. For example, two local ranchers drove more than five hours to the training, looking for strategies on approaching schools with their excess ground beef. Another attendee, trying to start a food hub, wanted to orient her business to sell food to schools. Another participant planned to start a mixed vegetable operation and wanted to incorporate farm to school in her business plan.

The training included a tour of the Hardin School kitchen with Food Service Director Marlo Spreng and Hardin Farm to School Coordinator Elle Ross. They described the district’s journey to more scratch cooking and meals featuring traditional Crow dishes, since the school serves children from the Crow Reservation.

The training also hosted a “Montana Foods for Montana Schools” connection event for school food service professionals to learn more about Farm to School and to meet farmers in their area. This innovative event covered it all - knowledge sharing, relationship building, and coming together over a meal. It was an outstanding networking and program improvement opportunity Mountain Plains regional staff were proud to attend.

By Sandra MacMartin, Public Affairs Specialist, FNS Midwest Regional Office and
Wayne M. Detmer, M.D. Chief Clinical Officer, Lawndale Christian Health Center

I’m Dr. Wayne M. Detmer, and I work at Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC) on Chicago’s west side. Like many neighborhoods around the country, our community members experience significant disparities in health outcomes. We’ve grown in our recognition that excellence in the exam room has its limits, and that to see real change, we need to think outside of exam room walls.

In the summer of 2010, I noticed a small urban farm right in our community that was operated by the Chicago Botanic Garden. Within a few months, our two organizations began to partner, and together, we built a beautiful community center with an indoor aquaponic operation, a retail store that offered locally grown produce at affordable prices, and job training opportunities for people who were previously incarcerated.

Equally exciting, we partnered with the Garden’s Windy City Harvest Team (WCH) on a USDA grant to launch VeggieRx. Through the program, any of our 100 medical providers can write prescriptions for boxes of locally grown vegetables, which are picked up each week by participants. The program also includes nutrition counseling and cooking demonstrations.

We launched the program in the summer of 2016, serving 175 participants, with produce from local WCH farms and their farm incubator program (supported by USDA’s Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program). The program has grown to serve 1,621 community members annually and has distributed over 80,000 pounds of locally grown produce. The program is now run out of the Farm on Ogden food hub and fresh market.

VeggieRx has achieved local and national attention as a model for local growers and community health centers to partner and improve access to healthy, affordable produce. In December 2021, Chicago Public Schools student Adeline Daab was selected as the winner of The New York Times’ student podcast contest for her story on VeggieRx.

As VeggieRx blooms in community health centers across Chicago, we hope that programs modeled after it will sprout in health centers across America.