healthy food - INCENTIVES HELP SNAP PARTICIPANTS EAT HEALTHIER - SIBEJO

Financial incentives can help SNAP families eat healthier foods. According to a randomized controlled trial, a 30% rebate on fruits and vegetables increased their daily consumption by 26%. The trial evaluated USDA's Healthy Incentives Pilot program, which offered a 30% rebate for 1 year on certain fruits and vegetables purchased at participating retailers using SNAP benefits. The rebate was offered for fresh, canned, frozen, and dried fruits and vegetables without added sugars, fats, oils, or salt. White potatoes, dried beans and peas, and 100% fruit juice were not eligible for the rebates.

Source: MedPage Today, 6/28/16, SNAP Incentives Work

healthy food - HIGHER SNAP BENEFITS MEANS MORE FOOD, BETTER NUTRITION - SIBEJO

Boosting SNAP benefits raises not only the amount that low-income households spend on groceries but also its nutritional quality, according to a new study. The study�s main findings include:

• Low-income families report that to meet their food needs, they would need to spend an additional $4-$9 per person weekly on food.  �Food-insecure� families, who are more likely to be poorer, report needing to spend an additional $12-$20 per person weekly.
• If households received an additional $30 per month per person in SNAP benefits (which would be about a 20% increase in the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, the basis for SNAP benefits), their food spending would go up by about $19 per person, based on the food spending patterns of households with somewhat more resources.
• That increase in food spending, in turn, would raise consumption of more nutritious foods--households would consume more tomatoes and vegetables and less fast food.

Source: Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, 6/14/16,  More SNAP, Better Nutrition

healthy food - FDA UPDATES NUTRITION LABELS - SIBEJO

The Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule last week to update Nutritional Fact Labels on food products. The updates include a new design for the label that highlights  calories and serving sizes, as well as new serving sizes that more closely reflect the amount of food people actually eat. The update will include two columns that list both �per serving� and �per package� calorie and nutrition information for certain products consumed in one or multiple sittings like a pint of ice cream or 3-ounce bag of chips. The rule also includes a provision that forces food producers to list the grams and a percent daily value for added sugar, that is ingredients like high fructose corn syrup they add to a product�s natural sugars. Other changes to the label include a requirement for products like a 20 ounce soda that�s consumed in one sitting to be labeled as one serving and removing from labels �calories from fat,� but �Total Fat,� �Saturated Fat� and �Trans Fat� will remain. Food groups up in arms over the new requirement have accused the Food and Drug Administration of pushing forward without the proper science to back it up.

Source: The Hill, 5/20/16, Food Label Update

healthy food - LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BENEFIT FROM COOKING PROGRAMS - SIBEJO

A new study shows that a six-week cooking, shopping and nutrition course for low-income families has a powerful and sustained effect. Families report shopping smarter, eating healthier, and preparing more meals at home even six months after completing the course. What's more, they no longer regularly worry that their food might run out each month. The study found families have more confidence in the kitchen; are eating healthier, putting them at lower risk for diet-related diseases; and are more confident that they'll be able to afford enough food. Before taking the course, families sometimes worried that food might run out each month. Six months later, participants reported they rarely worry. Seventeen percent said they were more confident in stretching food dollars due to strategies they learned, like planning meals, shopping with a list and comparing unit prices.

Source: PR Newswire, 3/29/16, Cooking Skills

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 - 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.