ABCs of School Nutrition

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Welcome! The ABCs of School Nutrition Program supports school nutrition programs by providing training, resources, and tailored technical assistance to Illinois school nutrition professionals. On our blog, you'll find a variety success stories from schools around Illinois who have worked with us on Smarter Lunchroom initiatives, Breakfast After the Bell, and more! We also highlight School Nutrition Heroes who are committed to serving healthy meals and our winning Meal of the Month photo contest entries. To navigate, feel free to scroll through the posts, or narrow it down by selecting relevant categories (displayed on the right side of the page). Have a question? Choose the "ASK A SCHOOL NUTRITION QUESTION" category to get to the pinned post.

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  • More beans, please!

    Smarter Lunchrooms in Action

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    Ashley Hoffman (SNAP-Ed Educator) helped coordinate a taste test at Carlyle Elementary School (Carlyle, IL) as part of their Smarter Lunchroom makeover.

    After hearing that the K-4 students aren't particularly fond of beans, she suggested doing a taste test of "Cowboy Caviar," which includes black beans. She and Connie Geoffrey (Food Service Director) made it even more fun by dressing up in cowboy gear! Many students liked it and even came back for seconds.

    The colorful, Southwest-inspired recipe Ashley used in her taste test just might convince students that they like beans after all! It's only one of many recipes in the Washington State "Scratch Cooking" book. Download the PDF cookbook here! (Hint: the Cowboy Caviar recipe is on page 47).
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