Identifying and Marketing Healthy Foods to Meet the

HealthierUS School Challenge

Beth Hufnagel, RD LDNFood Service Director

Loyalsock Township School District

WHOLE GRAINS

• Menu Planners are encouraged to serve a variety of whole grain foods

• Schools cannot serve the same whole grain product every day to count for the HUSSC criteria

Manufacturers have stepped up to the plate for schools in our quest for whole grain offerings.

• Whole grain bread and rolls • Whole grain pizza crust• Brown Rice and brown rice blends• Whole Grain pancakes, waffles, french toast• Whole grain pasta and noodles• Whole grain coatings on chicken products• Whole grain pierogies, muffins, soft pretzels

WHOLE GRAINS ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

• Take credit for serving whole grains on your menus

• Don’t be afraid to offer new or unfamiliar whole grain products

• Have your student nutrition advisory committees taste test new whole grain products and ask for their help and support in marketing the items to students

DARK GREEN AND ORANGE VEGETABLES

• HUSSC VEGETABLE CRITERIA:

*Offer a different vegetable each day with

all servings at least ¼ cup serving size.

*Dark Green and orange vegetables must be offered on 3 or more days per week.

Of the 3, at least 2 must be different.

CARROTS, BROCCOLI & ?

• Sweet Potatoes & Apples• Honey Sweet Carrots• Roasted Carrots• Romaine Lettuce Salads• Popeye’s Spinach Salad• Baked Sweet Potato Crinkles• Sauteed Swiss Chard, Kale, Bok Choy• Baked Acorn Squash

DARK GREEN AND ORANGE VEGETABLESELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

• Directors must get hands-on with recipes and production staff

• Proper preparation• Presentation• Recipe R & D (Research and Development)• Positive reinforcement with servers and

students

DRY BEANS AND PEAS

• HUSSC DRY BEANS AND PEAS CRITERIA:

*Offer at least 1 serving per week. Serving size must be at least ¼ cup.

THE GREAT BEAN CHALLENGE?

• Acceptance• Maintain/Increase Participation• Variety• An opportunity to expose students to a fiber-rich, nutrient-dense, alternate protein

source

Baked Beans and then what?

• Home-Style Baked Beans• Mexican Rice & Beans• Refried Beans• Lentil Soup• Minestrone Soup• Homemade Rainbow Baked Beans• Veggie & Mixed Beans Pasta Salad• Chick Peas on Salads, Fiesta Salad• Mixed Bean Salad

DRY BEAN AND PEASELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

• “Try before you buy” samples• Teacher freebies• Menu messages• Repeated exposure

THE LYCOMING COUNTY

FITNESS CHALLENGE AS A HEALTHY FOOD MARKETING TOOL

• Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition• Fitness & Nutrition Challenge• Daily Morning Announcements• Opportunity to market the “not so familiar”

nutritious vegetable and bean choices

HUSSC Positive Outcomes

• Recognition• Positive Publicity• Monetary Incentive• School Team Building• Improve your school’s wellness environment• Validation!