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We provide guides for advocating for effective policy changes as well as practical tools for incorporating health and wellness into schools. Browse through our resources or select an audience to see curated resources.

24 Resources found for “School Food”

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Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing

This guide from School Food Focus is a resource for school food leaders and manufacturers alike who are committed to improving the overall quality, nutritional value, and safety of food provided to all students in every school. It highlights unwanted ingredients to eliminate, or those to watch out for, as new food products are developed and others are modified.

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Food Waste Reduction Toolkit for Illinois Schools

The Food Waste Reduction Toolkit for Illinois Schools, a project of the Wasted Food Action Alliance, is a comprehensive resource that provides all schools the tools to tackle the issue of wasted food. It identifies the main sources of wasted food in schools and, using the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy as a framework. Healthy Schools Campaign served as an advisor on the toolkit, and Space to Grow is included as a case study.

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Tracing the Food System: An Investigation of a Chicago Public Schools Meal

This lesson will allow students to make the connection between the food they eat at home and at school and the people, plants, and animals that provide it. Students will study the recipes of the winning school meal from the Cooking up Change competition and write creative narratives of a chosen ingredient along its journey of farm to tray.

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Parent Checklist: What You Can Do to Improve Your School’s Food

This checklist includes items that CPS is committed to implementing as well as ideas and strategies to help create a school environment that is supportive …

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USDA: School Meals

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service offers accessible information about nutrition assistance and explains how and where children and their families can access food during the school year and when school is not in session. This section goes into depth on rules and waivers concerning the distribution and pick-up of school food.

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Food Research and Action Center: Preparing for the Impacts of the Coronavirus on Health, Well-being, and Food Security

Food insecurity for students and families is a serious concern during this time of widespread school closures. The Food Research and Action Center summarizes changes to child and adult food program waivers under the Families First Act, explains USDA actions regarding nationwide child nutrition waivers, and provides a resource for school superintendents to meet student nutritional needs during the COVID-10 pandemic.

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Chicago Public Schools LearnWELL Toolkits

These Chicago Public Schools documents support schools in aligning with local wellness policy guidelines that promote healthy school environments that include physical activity and healthy food choices.

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Comprehensive Framework for Addressing the School Nutrition Environment and Services

US children attend school for at least 6 hours a day and are exposed to multiple opportunities to make decisions that affect their health during …

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Chicago Public Schools’ Pathways to Excellence in School Nutrition

This plan documents and make publicly accessible the district’s high school meal nutrition standards and health promoting initiatives and outline an action plan to provide healthy school food to all CPS students. This strategic plan was created in collaboration with the CPS School Food Advisory group co-convened by Healthy Schools Campaign.

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Integrating Health and Wellness into a School Improvement Plan

This webinar provides tips for engaging in an authentic school improvement planning process that involves a variety of stakeholders and practical ways you can integrate student health and wellness in your school improvement plan. The webinar is geared toward a Chicago audience but has relevant information for all schools.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Chicago Public Schools’ School Meal Program

This document will address frequently asked questions about the school meal program from parents just like you. Want to know how CPS is reducing processed …

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Principal Toolkit: Getting the Most out of the CPS School Meal Program

Because principals and schools play such an important role in providing students with healthy food and educating them on healthy behaviors, we created this toolkit in partnership with Chicago Public Schools to give you a guide to making sure the school meal program is working as best as it can for your students.

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Cooking up Change 2019 Student Recipes

We couldn’t let the school year go by without hosting the 2019 Cooking up Change competition featuring amazing student chefs and their delicious school meals. …

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100 Day Report: The Trump Administration’s Actions on Student Health and Wellness

How has the Trump administration acted on the opportunity to help create a better future for our children and our nation by improving health in schools?

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Federal Nutrition Programs

The Food Research & Action Center provides updated information about federal nutrition programs, including Pandemic EBT, School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program and more.

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