copyright © 2007 school nutrition association. all rights reserved. the school nutrition...

Copyright © 2007 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. www.schoolnutrition.org

The School Nutrition AssociationHelping take school nutrition programs to

the next level

School District NameDate


Agenda

• About the School Nutrition Association (SNA)

• Facts about school meals

• Benefits of SNA membership

• A look to the future


About SNA

• Mission: To advance good nutrition for all children• National, non-profit, professional organization• Over 55,000 school nutrition professionals as

members including:– School district directors and supervisors– Managers and employees in school cafeterias and kitchens– Food, equipment and technology manufacturers– School business officials and educators

• Over 60 years advocating for school nutrition programs and funding


SNA’s Goals

• Partner with school nutrition professionals to:– Maximize student performance – Provide nutritious meals– Improve schools’ financial performance by

promoting the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

– Develop and teach children healthy eating habits– Help students maintain a healthy weight– Advocate for NSLP and SBP program funding and

legislative support


“The majority of the school nutrition staff are members of SNA. SNA provides professional development activities which foster growth for our

employees. Our child nutrition program is the pinnacle of nutritional integrity and team-oriented service that positively influences students’

lives. We realize that without the support of SNA, this would not be achievable.”

Gail McKinzie, PhD, Superintendent of Polk County Schools, Bartow, Florida


School Meals – The Facts

• School meals help students to do better in school– Research has shown that students who eat school meals

perform their best academically

– Students who eat school breakfast have greater gains in standardized test scores and show improvements in math, reading and vocabulary scores*

– Healthy eating correlates with less trips to the school nurse and less absenteeism

– Providing nutritious school breakfast on testing days leads to improved test scores. Why not extend that to every day?

*Source: Meyres AF, Sampson AE, Weitzman M, Rogers BL, and Kayne H. “ School Breakfast Program and School Performance”, American Journal of Diseases of Children. 1989; 143:1234-39)



• School Meals help contribute to the bottom line! – USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers

the NSLP and reimburses participating schools' foodservice departments for the meals served to students.

– School districts should maintain the maximum federal funding possible by working with their school foodservice and nutrition departments to identify “at risk” kids and maximize reimbursements.

– To receive reimbursements, lunches must meet federal nutrition guidelines. More information at USDA.GOV



• School Meals help kids maintain a healthy weight – Students who eat school meals provided through the NSLP

and the SBP are more likely to be at a healthy weight.* – NSLP participants are more likely than non-participants to

consume vegetables, milk and milk products, and meat and other protein-rich foods, both at lunch and over 24 hours; they also consume less soda and/or fruit drinks.**

– This benefit is especially relevant for kids and their parents in today’s climate of heightened awareness of obesity issues.

*Source Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, August 2003

**Source USDA



• School Meals are healthy meals • Lunches that are part of the NSLP must meet nutrition

guidelines including limiting fat and saturated fat in meals and providing one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.

• NSLP lunches meet the dietary guidelines and are also served in age appropriate portion sizes and provide the right balance of protein, dairy, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.


SNA Member Benefits

• School nutrition training and continuing education to benefit school nutrition programs

• Broad range of workshops, seminars and classes:• Food safety and HACCP training • Healthful menu planning • Wellness policy implementation• How to better market school meal programs.

• Certification and credentialing programs

• Scholarships and grants for continuing education


“SNA has been a great resource for our district. It provided necessary information to implement our wellness policy. Our students are eating

appropriate portions of properly balanced foods, recess times are maintained and movement is encouraged, and a fun nutrition education

program is offered. Even teachers are challenged to eat better and move more thanks to the policies SNA helped our district create.”

Laura Heistand, 4th grade teacher, Hickman Mills c-1 School District, Kansas City, Missouri


SNA Member Benefits

• Advocacy for school nutrition program funding and legislation

– SNA is the primary national advocate for child nutrition• SNA regularly advocates for better funding of school nutrition

programs

• SNA advocated for wellness policies which became law

• SNA is advocating for national nutrition guidelines for foods and beverages outside of school meals

• SNA’s yearly Legislative Action Conference brings together over 800 school nutrition directors and manufacturers to advocate on behalf of child nutrition programs


SNA Member Benefits

• Tools to help implement a successful wellness policy

– Dedicated wellness section on SNA’s website– Free downloadable nutrition education tools targeting

students– Free downloadable wellness information targeting parents– Analyses of wellness policies from across the country


SNA Member Benefits

• Rewarding excellence in school nutrition

– Many awards for various levels of school nutrition professionals

– SNA’s Keys to excellence program, honoring Districts of Excellence that demonstrate superior performance in providing nutritious food and a healthy environment for all students.

– Visit www.schoolnutrition.org/keys for more information.


SNA Member Benefits

• Other benefits:

– Subscription to SNA’s award winning monthly magazine focused on child nutrition

– Access to the latest research on all aspects of school nutrition

– Public awareness to raise knowledge of the trends and advances made in school nutrition

– Free promotional tools to help market school nutrition programs

– Major conferences to foster learning and networking among school nutrition professionals


The Future

• SNA supports forward thinking programs like:– Alternative forms of school breakfast like breakfast

in the classroom– Taste testing with parents and students


Join SNA

• Encourage school nutrition staff to join SNA

– Visit www.schoolnutrition.org/schools for more information

– Or call SNA at (800) 877-8822


“Membership in SNA provides a wealth of knowledge through timely seminars, networking opportunities with other professionals, and keeps our school nutrition program on the cutting edge to help

provide our students great customer service.”

Dora Rivas, Division Manager, Food & Child Nutrition Services, Dallas Independent School District, Texas

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