FY 2021 Team Nutrition Training Grant for School Meal Recipe Development, Cohort B

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The mission of FNS is to work with partners to provide food and nutrition education to people in need in a way that inspires public confidence and supports American agriculture. Among these nutrition assistance programs are the Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Administered by State agencies, the Child Nutrition Programs help fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, and afterschool programs for providing nutritionally balanced meals to children at low or no cost.

Team Nutrition Training Grants are authorized under Public Law 111–296, which amended Section 19 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. As authorized under Section 6(a)(3) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 USC 1755(a)(3), FNS provides training and technical assistance for school nutrition professionals, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and encourages school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity. These activities are implemented under the Agency’s Team Nutrition initiative. Team Nutrition Training Grants have been a part of the Team Nutrition initiative since its inception in 1995. These grants have provided State agencies with funds to implement training and nutrition education within the Child Nutrition Programs in their State.

On October 16, 2020, the USDA FNS awarded over 4.1 million in funding to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Team Nutrition Training Grant for School Meal Development (Cohort A) Grantees consisting of fifteen State agencies that administer the NSLP. The FY2021 Team Nutrition Training Grant for School Meal Recipe Development (Cohort B) focuses on the same grant purpose and objectives as the Cohort A grant, and is open to State agencies administering the NSLP that did not receive a FY2021 Team Nutrition Training Grant for School Meal Development in October 2020 as part of Cohort A.

The FY 2021 Team Nutrition Training Grant for School Meal Recipe Development supports States in understanding, developing, and using standardized recipes within the School Meal Programs. Using grant funds, States will be able to develop nutritious and tasty recipes that incorporate local agricultural products and appeal to students’ taste preferences. States will build their capacity to standardize recipes, show how standardized recipes credit towards school meal pattern requirements, and assist School Food Authorities in engaging students in menu development. Standardized recipes are critical to the success of school meals because they provide consistent results in quality, quantity, and nutrient contribution, while helping to reduce food waste and food costs. FNS intends to share the recipes States develop under this grant via the FNS Team Nutrition website and the Institute of Child Nutrition’s online resource center known as the Child Nutrition Recipe Box (https://theicn.org/cnrb).

Government

• State governments