NDS has greatly expanded access to healthy meals with the introduction of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) at the start of this school year. For 17,256 students at 60 schools sponsored by NDS, breakfast and lunch are provided at no cost at school each day. We now have data to quantify the impact of CEP on participation in school meals. […]
This fall, Nutritional Development Services began rolling out a new electronic point of service system to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. NDS provides touch-screen laptops equipped with PrimeroEdge software on which school managers can record meals served. […]
Ensuring that children receive nutritious school meals requires school-wide cooperation. Yesterday, we were able to give back to staff by offering a complimentary healthy school meal to staff members at our partner schools. […]
Have you ever noticed a child’s hesitation to trying new foods? Even if they are not picky eaters, many children need repeated exposures to foods in order to accept them and want to try them. […]
Whether your school participates in Terra Nova or PSSA testing, eating a healthy breakfast is essential to getting students prepared and focused for standardized testing. Nutritional Development Services supports the success of our community by offering free breakfast to all students at our partner schools during standardized testing. […]
All year long, we emphasize the importance of eating fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and other staples of the National School Lunch Program and Breakfast Program. We encourage students to try new foods and we explain their health benefits. However, when it comes to holiday parties and other classroom celebrations, high-sugar, high-fat snacks like cupcakes and chips are the norm. […]
In an effort to increase participation in the Breakfast program and to help students be better prepared to learn, NDS is encouraging the schools with whom we work to join the PA School Breakfast Challenge. […]
As we settle in to the 2013-2014 school year, remember that healthy foods provide essential nutrients and energy to help students focus and perform at school. Just as trying to learn on an empty stomach is almost impossible, trying to learn on a diet of sugary beverages and junk food is also unsuccessful. The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are designed to provide a variety of vitamins, minerals, food groups, and calorie targets appropriate for different ages. These meals offer fresh fruits and vegetables, increased whole grains, lower fat dairy products, and zero trans fat, to ensure that students are healthy and ready to learn, every day. Encourage your students to try one of our meals, for their bodies and their brains.
It’s nearly time to go back to school, and Nutritional Development Services is preparing for another school year of healthy meals. We have been enhancing our breakfast and lunch menus over the past few years to comply with the new nutrition standards provided in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. You can look forward to: […]
