We Moved to a New Website!

We have exciting news! Boston Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services has a new website!

You can access it by going to bostonpublicschools.org/fns

or you can click here !

 

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to Start in 30 Schools

 

 

 

 

 

Food and Nutrition Services is happy to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has approved 30 Boston Public Schools for the 2015-2016 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).  The FFVP is a government initiative to expose children to a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables outside of school breakfast and school lunch.

FFVP On-Site Coordinators report that students have been asking, “Where are the fruits and veggies?” since the first day of school. Bianca Tamburello, the new Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Coordinator, is thrilled by student enthusiasm for the program. She plans to generate even more excitement about the program by organizing fun nutrition education activities and offering interesting fruit and vegetable snacks such as mangoes, snap peas, and maybe even jicama this school year!

FFVP will kick-off the week of October 5^th in all participating schools.  Below are the participating Boston Public Schools.

Samuel Adams Elementary	John F. Kennedy Elementary
William Blackstone Elementary	Patrick Kennedy Elementary
Boston Teachers Union K-8 School	Joyce Kilmer K-8
Clap Innovation School	Martin Lither King, Jr. K-8
James F. Condon Elementary	Joseph Lee K-8
Paul A. Dever Elementary	Mather Elementary
East Boston Early Education Center	Donald McKay K-8
Sarah Greenwood K-8	Richard J. Murphy K-8
Henry Grew Elementary	Hugh R. O’Donnell Elementary
Curtis Guild Elementary	Orchard Gardens K-8
Nathan Hale Elementary	James Otis Elementary
Harvard/Kent Elementary	William E. Russell Elementary
James W. Hennigan K-8	Charles Sumner Elementary
Higginson/Lewis K-8	William Monroe Trotter K-8
Jackson Mann/Horace Mann School	John Winthrop Elementary

Meet Bianca! Our Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Coordinator.

 

Announcing: FFVP Poster Contest Winners

We received over 400 entries from 8 Boston Public Schools: Bates Elementary, Condon Elementary, Higginson Elementary, Jackson Mann K-8, Kilmer K-8, Lyndon K-8, P.J. Kennedy Elementary, and Sarah Greenwood K-8.

Our new superheroes in the Fruit and Veggie Action League range from Papa Potato and Corny the Cobbler to the Horned Melon and his side kick Rambutan.  These fruit and veggie superheroes help people stay healthy and strong while fighting bad guys and curing bee stings.

Thanks again to all of our participants for your creativity and for helping us form the Fruit and Veggie Action League!

Below are our winning superhero posters sorted by grade level:

Winners from Grades 1-3

Winners from Grades 4-5

Winners from Grades 6-8Best Comic Strips from All Grade Levels

 

National School Lunch Week Oct. 14-18, 2014

Happy National School Lunch Week!

What’s new in the cafeterias in Boston Public Schools?

In our Satellite Schools, Whitsons Culinary Group is introducing new FRESH salads this year.  Try all 5 different varieties: Greek Salad, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Crispy Chicken Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, and Cobb Salad. Salads are featured on the satellite menus 2 days a week.

In our cafeteria schools we are continuing to serve a variety of fresh entree salads and side salads.  This year, we are also introducing a few new recipes that our chefs from Project Bread tested last spring in select schools across the city.  A NEW favorite is the Pollo Guisado. The Pollo Guisado is a our roasted chicken cooked in a tasty marinade of our homemade adobe seasoning mix, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro! The Pollo Guisado is on the menu again on Thursday October 30, 2014.  Get in line and give it a try!

Wondering what’s on the menu this week?  Check out our menus on the Menu Page and hope you will join us in celebrating National School Lunch Week by getting in the lunch line!

 

It’s not too late to kick off 2014 with a healthy start!

Still thinking about making some new year’s resolutions? It’s not too late to kick off 2014 with a healthy start!

Here are some ideas for healthy new year’s resolutions:

–  Incorporate more whole grains into your weekly meals.
According to the Whole Grain Council, studies have shown that the consumption of whole grains may reduce the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and help with maintaining a healthy weight.

– Commit to eating one more fruit or vegetable EVERY day.
Join America’s More Matters Pledge to Fight Obesity.  Besides being delicious and colorful additions to your plate,  fruits and vegetables provide your body with necessary dietary fibers that support a healthy digestive system, are packed with vitamins and minerals and can help your body reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers.

– Do something active for 30 minutes each day!
Whether it’s going for a walk or playing basketball, aim to get out there once a day!  For some ideas check out the Obesity Action Coalition’s Winter Fitness Fun Guide.

-Reduce your daily sugar intake.
Here’s an educational video that was shared on the Mother Nature Network about the effects of sugar on your brain.

What healthy habit are you committing to in 2014?

 

October is National Farm to School Month!

In Boston Public Schools we are serving up locally grown fruits and veggies on the lunch line every Thursday for Local Lunch Thursdays.  Today’s Local Lunch Thursday special is Roasted Brussel Sprouts from Hadley, Massachusetts.

What’s so great about brussel sprouts? These tasty little veggies are packed with vitamin C!  And did I mention they are super tasty?!  Here is the recipe if you’d like to try them at home!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts Recipe
makes 4-6 servings

1.5 lbs Brussel Sprouts
3 Tbs. oil (preferably olive oil)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1-2 Tbs of fresh lemon juice (about 1/4-1/2 of a lemon; adjust to your taste preference!)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

2. Wash and prep brussel sprouts. Trim bottoms and cut in half lengthwise.

3. In a large bowl, toss brussel sprouts with oil and evenly coat.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and toss until evenly distributed.

4. Roast in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, shaking the pan every 5-7 minutes for even browning.  Brussel sprouts are ready when they turn bright green and deep golden brown on the edges and can easily be stabbed with a fork.

5. Remove from the oven, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the roasted brussel sprouts and toss to evenly coat.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

How do YOU cook your brussel sprouts?  Please share your recipes in the comment section of this post!

 

National School Breakfast Week is March 4-8, 2013!

Join us in celebrating National School Breakfast Week! 

Did you know breakfast is FREE for all Boston Public Schools students?! Since the beginning of this school year, we have been serving up a variety of delicious, healthy breakfast items every day for students, for FREE!  So come on into school a little earlier this week and enjoy breakfast with us!

 

 

What’s new with the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Happy February!

Although it has been cold, a lot has been happening inside with the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). Children who have participated in the program have tasted more than 30 different types of fresh fruits and vegetables with FFVP during school year 2012-2013. The variety of produce has ranged from persimmons and avocadoes to sugar snap peas and grape tomatoes.

Ms. Baszkiewicz, a science teacher at the Mather School in Dorchester is a champion of nutrition and food based education and connecting the FFVP with her curriculum.  Phoebe, our FFVP Coordinator, had the honor of being a guest in Ms. Baszkiewicz’s science class to talk about heirloom apples and play Nutrition Bingo.

Stay tuned for more exciting things going on this spring with FFVP!

 

Hundreds of Boston School Students Enter School Breakfast Poster Contest

Students at Boston Public Schools expressed their creativity and feelings about eating a healthy breakfast by participating in the Fuel Up to Play 60 School Breakfast Poster Contest which was held in mid-November.  Entries were judged by principals/headmasters, art teachers, wellness coordinators and others at each school. All first, second and third place winners receive prizes and recognition in their schools.

The Contest was sponsored by the Fuel Up to Play 60, which is a collaboration of the National Dairy Council and the National Football League through a grant for calendar year 2012.  Thirty two Boston schools across the City and all grade levels participate in the grant which is intended to engage students in the habit of eating a healthy breakfast at school.

 

School Breakfast Poster Contest

Students at 32 Boston schools are creatively expressing themselves in a School Breakfast Poster Contest this week (Nov 12-16), using the themes:  “My Favorite Breakfast” or “How I Feel When I Have Had a Really Good Breakfast”.

The Contest is supported through a Fuel Up to Play 60 grant which was awarded to Boston Public Schools to increase student participation in eating healthy breakfasts.  The goal of the Contest is to build interest among students to eat breakfast at school, especially this year, which is the first time that school breakfast is free to all Boston students.

For the Contest, students receive entry forms, color pencils and color markers in their cafeterias to make their posters, any time during the week.  Winning art entries will be awarded gift cards in amounts of $25, $15, and $10.  Additionally, $25 $15 & $10 gift cards will be randomly awarded to students from all entries at each school.  Principals, wellness champions and others in each school are serving as judges.

The School Lunch Boston blog will display the winning entries once the judging is completed!