The Feed
Food and Child Nutrition Services Monthly Newsletter
Harvest of the Month is an initiative that promotes eating seasonal fruits and vegetables in our school cafeterias. Each month Dallas ISD features a different fruit or vegetable on our campus menus so that we can increase access to fresh produce for Dallas ISD students. All of our Harvest of the Month produce is locally grown, and this initiative also helps support Texas farms and farmers.
For the month of September, Dallas ISD will be serving Yellow Squash in all school cafeterias! Our Yellow Squash comes from Fredericksburg Peach Company in Pleasanton, Texas. Started in 1984, Fredericksburg Peach is a grower and shipper of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables in Texas. In addition to farming over 400 acres in Texas, Fredericksburg Peach also markets produce for over 30 local Texas growers.
To learn more about Yellow Squash, click HERE!
For their August issue, D Magazine took a look at how we feed Dallas ISD's 144,000 kids every single day! This is a great article because it looks at how we collect student feedback so that we can adjust and improve recipes for our kids. We also love this article because it highlights so many of our wonderful staff members; people like Ms.Brenda Jackson, who has been with us for 45 years, Patricia Jackson (42 years), Lessie Dixon (40 years), and Precious Pitts (38 years).
"Several chefs serve at schools as cafeteria supervisors. They constantly solicit feedback ... from students about new items. Each of the approved nominees is given a chance to earn its way onto the permanent menu." — Elizabeth Lavin, D Magazine
To read the full article, click HERE!
Dallas ISD's Executive Chef Trina Nelson was recently featured on the cover of Food Service Director Magazine! FSD followed up by inviting Chef Trina to speak on their podcast. Listen to Chef Trina talk about Dallas ISD's Chef Team and how they are working to increase meal participation.
"Dallas ISD's Chef Team includes a group of classically trained chefs whose goal is to drive meal participation in the district by developing recipes that students love. Listen as Nelson shares how the Chef Team was formed, how the team is using student feedback to build its menu, and her advice for school nutrition professionals looking to start a Chef Team for their own district."—Onsite with FSD
To read the full FSD magazine article, click HERE!
To listen to Chef Trina on the FSD Podcast, click HERE!
Ms.Brenda Jackson grew up in Waco, Texas where she first learned to cook and clean while helping her mother out around the house—"Learning how to take care of the family was really important to her. She helped me realize how much work there is when you're taking care of other people," Ms.Brenda said after thinking back on her childhood in Waco. Ms.Brenda credits her mother and her family for her passion for public service and the work she does here at Food and Child Nutrition Services.
Ms.Jackson started out working in elementary school cafeterias and eventually worked her way up to the Maria Luna food service facility's Central Kitchen; looking back, Jackson said, "cafeteria workers do more than just serve meals, the students really become our children." Her hard work, passion for service, and dedication to the job made her stand out. One of the things Jackson loves about Dallas ISD is the people, how supportive they can be, and how they can open doors for people who are looking for new opportunities. That is, in part, why Ms.Jackson has been with Dallas ISD for 45 years.
Thank you Ms.Brenda Jackson for you passion, dedication, and service to the children of Dallas!
World School Milk Day started in 2000 to celebrate the important role school meal programs play in fighting hunger. Milk specifically has played a big role in how school nutrition programs around the world have been able to provide nutritious meals for their kids. Each year, events are held in over 25 countries to share information and celebrate all aspects of school milk!
"Milk is an important part of a child's diet due to its high nutrient content and its ability to help children develop healthy bones, regulate blood pressure, and maintain a healthy weight. Many plant-based milks do not match dairy's essential nutrients, so it's important for parents to understand their options."
— Otoniel Santiago, clinical dietitian with Get Up & Go by Children's Health℠
The earliest version of the School Milk Program in the United States began in 1940 when a federally subsidized program began distributing milk to children at 15 elementary schools in Chicago. The program was so popular that it spread nationwide and eventually became a Federal program overseen by the USDA.
To learn more about the benefits of milk for children and the differences between dairy and plant-based milk alternatives, click HERE!
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival we have chosen a traditional Chinese recipe for braised eggplant for our recipe of the month.
Watch the video below or click HERE for the full recipe.