healthy food - 2 BREAKFASTS MAY BE BETTER THAN 1 - SIBEJO

A recently published study, found that weight gain among children who ate both breakfast at home and at school was no different than that seen among all other students. Meanwhile, the risk of obesity doubled for students who skipped breakfast or participated inconsistently. Researchers suggested several reasons for this outcome, including the fact that school breakfast is generally healthy, and students who skip breakfast are likely to overeat later in the day. And, of course, just the fact that growing adolescents often need a lot of food to grow means that they can eat more without necessarily gaining weight.

Source: NPR, 3/17/16, 2 Breakfasts

healthy food - U.S. MAKES IT EASIER FOR KIDS ON MEDICAID TO GET SCHOOL MEALS - SIBEJO

A new federal initiative will make it easier for low-income children who receive Medicaid to get free or reduced-price meals at school automatically, with no application required. Expanding a project launched in 2012, USDA is now accepting applications from any state that wishes to use Medicaid data to automatically enroll children for free or reduced-price school meals.  Six states ? Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania already use Medicaid data to enroll children for free school meals; now they can use this data to enroll children for reduced-price meals. 

Source: Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, 3/17/16, Medicaid & School Meals

healthy food - TRENDS IN U.S. FOOD ASSISTANCE - SIBEJO

USDA�s annual look at food assistance programs shows the agency spent $104.1 billion in fiscal 2015 on its 15 domestic food and nutrition programs, about the same as in 2014. This was about 5% below the historical high of $109.2 billion set in FY 2013. SNAP accounted for 71% of all federal food assistance spending in FY 15. An average 45.8 million people per month participated in the program, 2% fewer than in FY 14. FY 2015 marked the second consecutive year that participation decreased, and only the third time in the last 15 years. About 8.0 million people per month participated in WIC in fiscal 2015, 3% less than FY 14. Daily participation in the National School Lunch Program averaged 30.5 million in FY 2015, about the same as the previous year. 65% of all participants received free meals, 7% received reduced-price meals, and 28% paid full price. An average of 14.0 million children participated in the School Breakfast Program each school day, 3% more than FY 14. 79% of all participants received free meals, 6% received reduced-price meals, and 15% paid full price.

Source: USDA, 3/16, Food Aid Trends

healthy food - 2017 HOUSE BUDGET WOULD SLASH SNAP - SIBEJO

The House Budget Committee-approved budget plan would cut SNAP) by more than $150 billion�over 20%�over the next 10 years. The plan:

�      Eliminates waivers for childless adults living in areas of high unemployment.

�      Eliminates states� option to use broad-based categorical eligibility, which helps households with gross incomes or assets are modestly above the federal SNAP limits but whose disposable income is below the poverty line, often because of high rent or child care costs. Several hundred thousand children in these families whose eligibility for free school meals is tied to their family�s receipt of SNAP would lose free school meals.

�      Restricts states� ability to reduce paperwork in determining SNAP benefit levels for households receiving LIHEAP benefits.  CBO has estimated this change would cut SNAP by about $10 billion over ten years

�      Would convert SNAP into a block grant beginning in 2021 and cut funding steeply � by $125 billion (or almost 30%) between 2021 to 2026.  States would be left to decide whose benefits to reduce or terminate. 

Source: Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, 3/21/16, Budget Plan

To see how you can take action, go here

healthy food - WHY POOR WORKING MOTHERS CAN�T GET AHEAD - SIBEJO

Single mothers comprise more than 85% of welfare recipients, which is why child care support was a key focus of welfare reform legislation in 1996, which boosted federal funding for child care and streamlined it into the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the main source of funding states can use to provide child care subsidies for poor families.  The problem is that once welfare recipients get a toehold in the job market, they may end up losing child care help just as they are transitioning out of welfare.  And while CCDBG child care subsidies are supposed to help pick up the slack, only a tiny fraction of the children eligible for that help are getting it.  Research shows that access to child care help from the CCDBG program are at a 16-year low, with only 13% of all eligible children currently receiving child care assistance.

Source: Center for Law and Social Policy, 3/15/16, Child Care Subsidies

healthy food - SAFETY NET PROGRAMS ENCOURAGE WORK - SIBEJO

Public assistance programs such as SNAP, the EITC, and housing subsidies tend to encourage recipients to get jobs, work more hours, and receive higher pay, according to a new report. It Pays to Work: Work Incentives and the Safety Net finds that workers in or near poverty benefit substantially from working additional hours or at higher wages, and that the vast majority face lower incomes if they don't work. The authors argue that increasing the minimum wage, fully implementing the Affordable Care Act, and expanding the EITC would all further encourage public benefit recipients to work.

Source: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/3/16,

healthy food - Kids Healthy Lunchtime Challenge - SIBEJO

The 5th Annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge is currently underway! Kids 8-12 years old are invited to join a parent or guardian in creating an original MyPlate-inspired recipe that is healthy, creative, affordable and delicious. The recipe should follow MyPlate nutrition guidelines and this year, in celebration of the MyPlate, MyState initiative, it's encouraged that entries include local ingredients grown in your state, territory, and community.

The chef who created it, along with a parent or guardian, could win a trip to Washington, D.C.  to attend the 5th Annual Kids� �State Dinner� at the White House. Only one recipe from each of the 50 states (plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the 4 U.S. territories) will make the grade, so enter now!

Recipes must be submitted by April 4, 2016!

Learn more about the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge here.  

This would be a great opportunity for all of those North Country Junior Iron Chefs!

healthy food - Today is International Waffle Day - SIBEJO

Happy International Waffle Day everyone! 

Waffles are the best way to bring everyone together for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And what is the perfect waffle incomplete without? Locally made Maple Syrup, of course!

Here in the North Country we have lots of sugar houses to visit. We even have a Maple Weekend April 2^nd and 3^rd where different maple producers in the Lewis, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence counties host open houses and free activities between 10am and 4pm. 

The goal of Maple Weekend is �to educate the public about New York�s maple farming processes and traditions and to provide a chance to taste pure maple syrup in its many forms - right from the source.�

Want to test your Maple Syrup knowledge?

1. Syrup is done when it reaches what percentage sugar?

42%

56%

66%

75%

Source:  New York State Maple Producers Association

__________________________________________________________

2. Each tablespoon of maple syrup provides about what percentage of the recommended daily amount of potassium?

�         6%

�         10%

�         18%

�         29%

Source:  USDA

___________________________________________________________

3. Which has the most calories?  A quarter cup of:

�         Maple syrup

�         Honey

�         White sugar

�         Brown sugar

Source:  USDA

___________________________________________________________

Answers:

1: 66%

2: 10%

3: Honey

How�d you do? Think you could stand to learn a little bit more about Maple Syrup and the process that goes into making it? Great! We�ll see you on Maple Weekend. To find out more information about the weekend and what sugar houses are participating, visit http://www.nysmaple.com/nys-maple-weekend .

healthy food - Call your member of Congress today! - SIBEJO

Action Alert: Urge Your Member of Congress to Vote No on House Budget Resolution That Would Cut SNAP

The FY2017 Budget Resolution voted out of the House Budget Committee last week threatens severe budget cuts to essential federal programs serving low-income families and individuals and proposes to block grant SNAP (through a �State Flexibility Fund�). If enacted, these changes would mean more hunger and deeper poverty for very vulnerable people, including families with children, elderly people, and people with disabilities. 

Take Action Now: Urge your House Member to vote no when the budget resolution goes to the House floor, likely after spring recess.

Call your member's office through the US Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121.

For those who are in St. Lawrence County, this would be Representative Elise Stefanik.  Her direct office number is (202) 225-4611

For more information from the Food Research and Action Center, go here.

healthy food - NEW PLAN TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE - SIBEJO

A new plan offers a roadmap for the U.S. to reduce food waste by 20% within a decade while also creating thousands of jobs and could save consumers billions of dollars. The report from a nonprofit and corporate collaboration known as ReFED divides food waste solutions into three categories: prevention, recovery, and recycling. Proposed measures focus heavily on preventing food waste in the first place. For one, the report suggests food companies should adjust packaging to discourage waste. Portions should be smaller and packaging should be designed to prevent food from spoiling. Distributors should invest in technology to eliminate food waste during transport. Prevention methods would help save roughly $8 billion and prevent 2.6 million tons of food from being wasted.

Source: Time, 3/9/16, Food Waste

healthy food - USDA Team Nutrition Training Grants Available - SIBEJO

USDA's Team Nutrition initiative provides technical assistance, training, and nutrition education resources for schools and child care providers participating in USDA's child nutrition programs. Grants through this program are intended to conduct and evaluate training, nutrition education, and technical assistance activities to support the implementation of USDA nutrition standards for snacks and meals, like school breakfast. These grants can also be used to support farm to school! For example, in 2014 Montana was awarded a Team Nutrition Grant to build statewide support for nutrition education, school wellness policy implementation, and farm to school programs in school and child care environments. Learn more about the grants and apply here. 

healthy food - NEW WIC RULES MAKE ACCESS EASIER - SIBEJO

he shopping experience for WIC participants should improve under a new USDA rule that requires states to transition from paper benefits to EBT systems by Oct. 1, 2020. The WIC EBT system replaces paper food checks or vouchers with a card that is used for food benefit issuance and redemption at authorized WIC stores. In 2016, Congress appropriated $220 million help state agencies fully fund the transition from paper benefits to EBT. The transition from paper benefits to EBT systems allows WIC participants to shop for items as needed rather than requiring them to purchase all items in one trip or lose the remaining benefits. Implementing EBT will also reduce checkout times and potential stigma associated with using food benefits. Additionally, WIC participants will no longer need to separate their WIC foods from their other grocery items.

Source: USDA, 2/29/16, WIC Rule

healthy food - SNAP FALLS FOR 3 YEARS - SIBEJO

The number of SNAP recipients has fallen by 2.6 million people since peaking in December 2012, according to new USDA data. SNAP grew significantly between 2007 and 2011 due to the recession and lagging recovery; participation among those eligible also rose.  But SNAP caseload growth slowed substantially in fiscal years 2012 and 2013, and then, after peaking in December 2012, fell by about 2% in 2014 and another 2% in 2015. In more than 40 states, the number of SNAP participants was lower in December 2015 than in December 2012. Unfortunately, Connecticut was not one of these�caseloads here grew slightly between 2012 and 2015.

Source: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/3/16, SNAP Caseloads

healthy food - WHY DO SO MANY AMERICANS GO HUNGRY? - SIBEJO

The latest USDA figures show almost 6% of households�about 18 million people�are consistently not getting enough to eat. Another 30 million people have occasional problems feeding themselves. Altogether, roughly 48 million people or one in seven Americans go hungry at some point during the year. This number actually underestimates the problem because the survey excludes the homeless and transients; groups that almost by definition lack enough food.

Given America�s bounty why does hunger remain a problem? Poverty and lack of access to resources are two of the key forces defining hunger in the U.S.

The link between poverty and hunger is clear. Approximately 40% of families living below the federally mandated poverty rate in 2014 were hungry that year. Households with children, single parents and those living below the poverty line are at particular risk. Many Americans also lack access to healthy food, either because they live in urban areas that lack grocery stores, live in rural areas that are far from stores, or don�t have reliable transportation to stores

Source: The Conversation, 3/9/16, US Hunger