USDA "Gold Award"
Menus

"Go-Glow-Grow"
Nutrition Information

Student Nutrition
Advisory Councils

Recognition:
USA Today Feature
Outstanding Programs
USDA/NFSMI
"Cooking for Kids"

Free and Reduced
Meals Application
Guidelines

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools
School Food Services

Each day, St. Tammany Parish students are offered moderately priced, nutritionally balanced meals. Recognized as an exemplary food service program, our district is one of only two districts in the nation to achieve USDA's "Gold Award" status. This nutritional standard requires daily servings of fresh fruits and/or raw vegetables, leaner meats, whole wheat grain products, and low-fat milk.

 

 

 

Menu Cycles

Elementary Menu Cycle           Junior/Senior High Menu Cycle

Cooks for Kids Video Shot at Cypress Cove Elementary

An educational television segment that showcases healthy cooking for children filmed a "best practices" video at Cypress Cove Elementary School in Slidell November 7. The segment  focuses on local school cafeteria preparation of a regional favorite, gumbo made with a greaseless brown roux.

Videos were shot of food preparation, students in lunch lines and the dining room, and interviews with students, Principal Lisa Dial, and Food Service Manager Robin Blakeman, and Food Service Supervisor Sylvia Dunn. A nutrition education class, physical education class, and general campus shots were also video-taped for the project.

The purpose of the program "Cooks for Kids: Healthful Cooking Across America" is to address the problem of childhood obesity by offering ideas for healthier food preparation through school food service departments. Food service employees are the primary audience for the videos being produced. The end result of videos such as this is to inspire foodservice staff to prepare and serve nutritious and appealing foods in child nutrition programs. Teaching healthy food habits that will carry the wellness message into the home is a goal of the thirty-minute showcase of recipes, techniques, and practical solutions that schools can adopt to prepare healthier and tastier meals.

The new program is being put together by the National Food Service Management Institute (USDA).

 
Cooks for Kids Video Shot at Cypress Cove Elementary Wins Award

An educational television segment that showcases healthy cooking for children filmed at Cypress Cove Elementary School last year has won a Clarion Award from the Association for Women in Communications.

The "best practices" video entitled "Cooks for Kids" was part of a series being put together by the National Food Service Management Institute (USDA) and was created by Running Pony Productions out of Memphis, TN. It won in the category of Educational, Informational or Training Video Production - Longer than 15 minutes.

The Cypress Cove segment focuses on local school cafeteria preparation of a regional favorite, gumbo made with a greaseless brown roux. Videos were shot of food preparation, students in lunch lines and the dining room, and interviews with students, Principal Lisa Dial, Food Service Manager Robin Blakeman, and Food Service Supervisor Sylvia Dunn.

Additional video was shot of a nutrition education class, physical education class, and general campus views at Cypress Cove Elementary.

The purpose of the program "Cooks for Kids: Healthful Cooking Across America" is to address the problem of childhood obesity by offering ideas for healthier food preparation through school food service departments. Food service employees were the primary audience for the videos being produced. Teaching healthy food habits to children that will carry the wellness message into the home is a goal of the thirty-minute showcase of recipes, techniques, and practical solutions that schools can adopt to prepare healthier and tastier meals.

The Clarion Award honors excellence across all communication disciplines, with judging based on substance, style, originality and achievement of objective. The award will be presented on October 17 at the 2009 AWC National Conference in Seattle, WA. This year the competition drew nearly 500 entries, and 97 Clarions were awarded in a variety of categories.

 

 

Food Service Supervisor Speaks at Childhood Obesity and Public Health Forum

Members of the scientific community from across the South took part in a Childhood Obesity conference at the Pennington Biomedical Center in Baton Rouge recently. 

School Food Service Supervisor Sylvia Dunn was invited to participate in a panel discussion to share information on the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) “Gold Award” Menus which are served to thousands of students each day in St. Tammany Parish.

Additionally, the conference dealt with Louisiana’s Report Card on Physical Activity and Health for Children and Youth and the epidemic of childhood obesity currently plaguing the nation.

Mrs. Dunn’s overview of the Gold Standard menus available in St. Tammany Parish schools included a description of the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat milk, and leaner meat choices which are offered. As one of only two school districts in the nation to have adopted these higher nutritional menu standards, the success of the St. Tammany program was presented as a model for other districts. USDA’s “Gold Award” menus provide one positive approach in combating childhood obesity.

The conference subtitle “A Lifespan Approach to Prevention” featured presentations on childhood obesity by scientists and medical doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, the University of Texas, and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.