HISD’s award-winning Nutrition Services Department welcomed guests on Jan. 30, including USDA Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean, for a roundtable discussion about Beyond the Plate, the district’s focus on building capacity within HISD communities to ensure they have access to healthy food options.
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Nutrition Services adds more fresh fruits and vegetables to menu
DeChaumes Elementary School students enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables at lunch.
USDA’s MyPlate recommends children eat three and a half cups of fruits and vegetables daily, and the fresher they are, the more nutrients they contain. HISD Nutrition Services is offering healthier choices for students by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to school menus.
“We want to offer more varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables to get the students excited about eating healthy foods at school,” said HISD Dietitian Amanda Oceguera. “It was rewarding to see the students’ positive reactions to our Texas-grown watermelon, and we plan to continue offering more items like it.”
New federal guidelines require healthier snacks in schools by July 1
HISD students will notice fewer candy bars, potato chips, and soda sold on their campuses when the new school year begins.
Under new federal guidelines established last year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Smart Snacks in School” nutrition standards, the rules now regulate all foods sold outside the school meals program on campus and at any time during the school day.
HISD ground beef supply free of so-called “pink slime”
All HISD ground beef suppliers have confirmed this week that they do not use lean finely textured beef.
Houston Independent School District officials contacted the suppliers soon after concerns were raised about lean finely textured beef, also known as pink slime. As of Wednesday afternoon, each vendor had supplied HISD with written documentation confirming they have not sent the district any of the controversial products. In addition, HISD officials have inspected about $800,000 worth of frozen ground beef stored at the district’s food services facility and confirmed it does not contain lean finely textured beef.
In the future, HISD will decline to purchase any products that contain lean finely textured beef.